Whipsnade Zoo
Whipsnade Zoo has lots to see and do with animals, habitats and events! It’s located on the Chiltern Hills near Hertfordshire in 600 acres of stunning parkland. Over 10,000 animals have their home there, and many of these are endangered in the wild. Each and every animal at Whipsnade Zoo matters.
And with that in mind, there's GREAT news from Whipsnade! An endangered rockfeller chick has hatched at Whipsnade! Nicknamed noisy, the little chick will be hand-reared by keepers at first. Northern Rockhopper penguins are part of an international breeding programme which is co-ordinated by zoos. The aim is to increase their numbers. The numbers are really low, so zookeepers are stepping in to give the chick the best chance of survival. Good luck, little one! Find out more and see the video here. You can also find out about conservation breeding here.
And in April, the four 12 week old African lion cubs had their first health check! They were microchipped and vaccinated as well by the zoo’s vets and vet nurses. Mum Waka and Dad Malik are proud parents to three females and a male. Grow strong, little cubs!
It's World Elephant Day on the 12th August! Find out all about it at Whipsnade Zoo here.
What animals are at Whipsnade?
There’s a full species register document available so that you can see who’s there. The animals include the African dwarf crocodile, the stunning Amur tiger, Boreray sheep (the rarest breed of sheep in the UK), the Bagot goat (the oldest breed of goat in the UK), Dartmoor ponies, the gorgeous European brown bear, the Grevy’s Zebra (one of the rarest animals at the zoo, with just 2,000 left in the wild), the greater one-horned rhino, hippos, red pandas, reticulated giraffe, Rockhopper penguins, the Royal Golden Guernsey goats, yaks and others.
There are animal talks throughout the day (not given by the animals themselves!)
There’s the Whipnsade Railway! - you need to check the times it's running as it does close from 3 November to February 2025. You can take a journey on one of the two steam engines, Excelsior and Superior, as they make their way through the territories of some of the world's most inspiring animals - elephants, rhinos, camels and deer! A safari adventure with a bit of a difference, if you like!
And there are plenty of events, too!
World Lion Day
Roar for lions on the 9th and 10th August! Whipsnade is home to a pride of lions: lionesses Winta and Waka, and lion Malik - and their seven cubs! There are now only about 23,000 African lions left in the wild, so every lion matters. Join in from 11:00-5:00 for lion talks, a lion trail, arts and crafts, competitions and more activities. Find out more here.
World Elephant Day
World Elephant Day is on the 12th August and there are special celebrations planned at Whipsnade Zoo. There are talks at 11:30 and 2:00 and after, quiz the team of elephant keepers! There are five Asian elephants at Whipsnade, and they are important ambassadors for their cousins in the wild. Find out more here and visit World Elephant Day's website here (#worldelephantday)
Trolls: A Field Study
There's a very special event at Whipsnade this summer - it's called Trolls: A Field Study. It runs from 21st June to 22nd September. Twelve magical trolls need us to join their team of field researchers! They've noticed that people get up to all sorts of strange antics and that many adults even seem to have lost the ability to connect with nature. So the trolls are off - they need the help of nature-loving children to help them learn about humans! The trolls need children to get stuck in and explore the zoo and find them and interact with them. Some are sitting on a hill, some are learning against a tree - and children have the job of sharing their experience with their adults, so show how wonderful nature is. Find out all about it here.
Santa is back at Whipsnade!
From the 22nd November to the 24th December, Santa is coming back to Whipsnade! Find out all about it here.
All the information you need to plan your visit to Whipsnade Zoo is here: opening times, accessibility, how to get there, what’s available to eat and drink at the zoo, events taking place, even experiences you can have. There's a Plan Your Visit page with even more information, such as a map of the zoo, information on car parking, membership, universal credit tickets, the Community Access Scheme, and lots more. And there are Frequently Asked Questions here. And the Whipsnade App will help you plan your day so that you can find the animals you want to see, and the habitats, take a look at dining options with the GPS enabled map.
If you want to visit on a number of occasions, why not take out a membership? or give a membership? It gives you free, unlimited entry to both Whipsnade AND London Zoos all year round, so there’s plenty to see and do. The other nice thing is that you can watch the animals from their arrival at the zoos, over a period of time. And the other really nice thing is that by becoming a Zoo member, you’re supporting the zoos’ global conservation work, creating a world where wildlife thrives!
Give a year of adventure with a Gift Zoo Membership
Visit Whipsnade Zoo's website here.