Whipsnade Zoo facts for kids
Former main entrance to Whipsnade Zoo, closed in 2015
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| Date opened | 1931 |
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| Location | Whipsnade, near Dunstable, England |
| Land area | 600 acres (2.4 km2) |
| Coordinates | 51°50′59″N 000°32′39″W / 51.84972°N 0.54417°W |
| No. of animals | 3,626 (2018) |
| No. of species | 209 (2018) |
| Annual visitors | 648,945 (2019) |
| Memberships | BIAZA, EAZA, WAZA |
| Major exhibits | Lions of the Serengeti, Passage through Asia, In with the Lemurs |
Whipsnade Zoo, also known as ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, is a huge zoo and safari park in England. You can find it in Whipsnade, close to Dunstable in Bedfordshire. It's one of two zoos owned by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). ZSL is a charity that works to protect animals and their homes all over the world. The other zoo they own is London Zoo in Regent's Park, London.
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Discovering Whipsnade Zoo
Whipsnade Zoo is really big, covering about 600 acres (2.4 square kilometers)! You can even spot it from far away because of the Whipsnade White Lion. This is a giant hill figure carved into the side of the Dunstable Downs. It's right below the white rhino area.
Because the park is so large, you can choose how to explore it. You can walk around to see the different animal homes. Or, you can drive your own car through certain areas. There's even a special 'Asian' section where some animals roam freely around the cars! The zoo also has its own train, the Great Whipsnade Railway, which is also called the "Jumbo Express."
Whipsnade Zoo is the biggest zoo in the UK. It's also one of Europe's largest parks for protecting wildlife. It's home to over 3,600 animals, and many of them are endangered in the wild. Most animals live in very large enclosures. But some, like peafowl, Patagonian maras, and red-necked wallabies, walk freely around the park.
Whipsnade Zoo's History
How the Zoo Started
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) began in 1826. Sir Stamford Raffles started it to help protect animals and their habitats worldwide. This led to the creation of London Zoo.
Almost 100 years later, Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell, who was in charge of ZSL, visited the Bronx Zoo in the USA. He was inspired to create a similar large park in Britain. This new park would be a special place for conservation.
In 1926, ZSL bought Hall Farm, an old farm on the Dunstable Downs. It was about 30 miles (48 km) north of London. They built fences, roads, and planted trees.
The first animals arrived in 1928. These included colorful pheasants and junglefowl. Soon, more animals like muntjac, llama, and wombats joined them.
Whipsnade Park Zoo officially opened on Sunday, May 23, 1931. It was the first open-air zoo in Europe that people could easily visit. It was an instant hit! Over 38,000 people visited on the very next day. The brown bear area you see today is one of the oldest parts of the zoo.
In 1932, the zoo got even more animals from a traveling show that closed down. Some of the bigger animals even walked to the zoo from Dunstable station!
The famous white lion hill figure was finished in 1933. It was refreshed in 2018 to keep it looking great.
Whipsnade During World War II
During the Second World War, Whipsnade Zoo became a safe place for animals from London Zoo. Famous giant pandas like Ming, Sung, and Tang stayed here for a while. They were later sent back to London to cheer people up. In 1940, 41 bombs fell on the park. Luckily, they didn't cause much damage to the zoo buildings. However, a 3-year-old giraffe named Boxer was scared to death by the loud explosions. Some of the ponds you see in the park today are actually old bomb craters from that time.
New Additions and Changes
In 1996, a new home for the elephants opened. It replaced the older, smaller elephant house. The old house, built in 1935, is still at the zoo. It's now home to the zoo's lemurs.
In the early 2000s, the zoo added many new areas. These include:
- Lions of the Serengeti (2005)
- A walk-through lemur area (2007)
- The Rhinos of Nepal exhibit (2007)
- Cheetah Rock (2008)
- A sloth bear exhibit (2008)
- Wild Wild Whipsnade (2009)
In 2008, the Café on the Lake was updated and renamed the Wild Bite Café. In May 2009, a special goat named William Windsor (or Billy) came to live at the zoo. He was a mascot for the British Army for eight years!
Amazing Animal Exhibits
Butterfly House
The Butterfly House opened in 2016. It's a walk-through area where you can see many kinds of butterflies flying around you! It's also home to dwarf crocodiles. You might even spot one of the world's largest moths here, the atlas moth.
Passage Through Asia
Passage Through Asia is a huge area where animals and visitors share the space. You can only enter this area by driving your car through it or by riding the Jumbo Express train. Here, you'll see large groups of animals like Bactrian camels, barasingha, fallow deer, sika deer, Père David's deer, and yaks.
Lions of the Serengeti
This exhibit opened in 2005. It was home to a group of African lions. Over time, the lions have changed. In 2021, some of the older lions passed away due to age. The lion habitat is currently closed while the zoo looks for a new group of lions.
In early 2022, five lions from another zoo stayed here temporarily after their home was damaged by a storm. Later, a male lion named Khari from Blackpool Zoo joined Whipsnade. He will return to Blackpool Zoo in summer 2023. Whipsnade plans to welcome two new lionesses from Belgium and a male lion from Germany soon.
Sea Lion Splash (Now Closed)
This used to be a popular daily show with the zoo's three trained California sea lions. They would perform tricks and stunts in their pool. In 2015, a baby sea lion named Oscar was born here. In 2021, the sea lions moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park. This exhibit is now closed forever.
The Elephant Herd
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo has a herd of nine Asian elephants. This includes female elephants like Lucha, Kaylee, and Karishma, and Kaylee's daughter, Donna. A male elephant named Ming Jung joined them in 2019. He is part of a special program to help endangered species. Their outdoor area is seven acres big! It has three pools, mud wallows, and dust baths for them to enjoy.
One of the female elephants, Karishma, and her first baby, George, were featured in a TV show called The Zoo. Another baby elephant, a female, was born during the Queen's birthday celebrations and was named Elizabeth. The elephants moved into a new indoor home, the Centre for Elephant Care, which opened in 2017.
Rhinos of Nepal
Opened in 2008, this area is home to a group of four Indian rhinoceroses: Hugo, Beluki, Behan, and a young male named Bali (born in 2015). The building is designed to be good for the environment. It uses rainwater for the pools and solar energy to heat them. The fences are even made from recycled wood!
Birds of the World Show
This is a daily show where keepers teach visitors about different bird species. The birds show off their natural skills and abilities.
Cheetah Rock
Opened in 2008, Cheetah Rock is home to a group of cheetahs. You can also learn about ZSL's work to protect cheetahs in Tanzania. The cheetahs at Whipsnade are Sudan cheetahs from Northeast Africa. In 2022, three male cheetahs moved here from Ireland.
Children's Farm
This area is perfect for younger visitors! It has farm animals like turkeys, llamas, alpacas, cows, silkie chickens, horses, donkeys, and goats. Many of these animals roam freely. The Children's Farm is also home to a female Bennett's wallaby named Pip. She was raised by keepers after her mother left her.
Wild Wild Whipsnade
Wild Wild Whipsnade opened in 2010. This exhibit features several animal species that used to live in the wild in Britain many hundreds of years ago. You can see Eurasian brown bears, wolverines, Eurasian lynx, reindeer, wild boar, and European bison here.
Other Amazing Animals
Whipsnade Zoo is also home to many other incredible animals that aren't part of a specific themed exhibit. These include:
- Amur tigers
- blesbok
- Asian small-clawed otters
- red pandas
- great white pelicans
- gemsbok
- sloth bears
- meerkats
- aardvarks
- Cape porcupines
- common ostriches
- reticulated giraffes
- southern white rhinoceroses
- Przewalski's wild horses
- chimpanzees
- American flamingos
- northern rockhopper penguins
- Grévy's zebra
- African wild dogs
- bongo
- hippopotamus
- scimitar-horned oryx
- waterbuck
- African penguins
- ring-tailed lemurs
Daily Fun at the Zoo
The main animal show is the 'Birds of the World'. Keepers also give talks every day during the summer. You can learn about lemurs, watch giraffes eat, and see the penguins being fed.
Filming at the Zoo
Whipsnade Zoo has been a filming location for many TV shows and adverts. It was used for scenes in ITV's Primeval. The zoo also appeared in BBC's Super Vets and the CBBC show Brum. Jamie Oliver and Sainsbury's filmed an advert here. Parts of the BBC's Merlin were filmed at Whipsnade. The famous white lion landmark can even be seen in behind-the-scenes footage from the Merlin DVDs. The zoo was also a challenge location for BBC Three's Young, Dumb and Living Off Mum. Even Tots TV visited Whipsnade!
A Chimpanzee Incident
In September 2007, two chimpanzees named Koko and Jonnie got out of their enclosure. They had recently moved from London Zoo. Koko followed a keeper back to the enclosure. However, Jonnie started heading towards public areas. To keep everyone safe, Jonnie was shot by the zoo's trained team. The zoo stated that no visitors were ever in danger. They explained that using a tranquilizer might not have been fast enough to ensure public safety.
