Whipsnade
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
Dunstable,
Bedfordshire LU6 2LF
Tel: 01582 872 171
About ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
Britain, always known for the pioneering work of its zoologists and their collections over the decades, boasts a particularly impressive zoo at Whipsnade, near the town of Dunstable in Bedfordshire. Now known as ZSL Whipsnade Zoo after several years as Whipsnade Wild Animal Park and before that simply Whipsnade Park Zoo, this large area of parkland and enclosures boasts some spectacular views over the Bedfordshire countryside and – unusually – covers an area so large that a popular visiting option is to drive around it rather than attempt to cover all the ground on foot. Owned by the Zoological Society Of London (ZSL), the zoo aims to fulfil the charitable aims of its parent company, many of which are concerned with conservation issues and the preservation of wildlife habitats worldwide. Whipsnade’s companion zoo is the famous London Zoo in Regents Park.
The history of Whipsnade Zoo is long and prestigious. The Zoological Society of London itself was founded in 1826 by Sir Stamford Raffles with the express objective of working towards animal conservation and their natural environment. The ZSL’s first project was to establish London Zoo before turning its attention to the creation of a larger, wild estate in the regions. In the early 20th century the ZSL Secretary Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell visited the Bronx Zoological Park in New York and returned to the UK inspired by what he had seen. To this end the ZSL bought Hall Farm, a farm on the Dunstable Downs to the north of the capital, and renovated it from its decrepit status at the time of its purchase. In 1926, the ZSL spent much time and money on fencing the site, laying roads and landscaping the open areas with trees.
Remarkably, after only two years of work the ZSL’s directors were able to bring in the first animals: these included in their number two Amherst pheasants, a golden pheasant and five red jungle fowl. Muntjac, llamas, wombats and skunks soon followed and the zoo was opened to the public in 1931.
Uniquely, Whipsnade Zoo can be located from the air and elevated land nearby thanks to the white lion which was carved into the side of the Dunstable Downs in 1933, below the present-day penguin enclosure. With an area of 600 acres, the Zoo offers the animals the chance to roam free in extensive paddocks as well as getting close to the visitors behind the more usual glass and steel cages. The many sights across the Zoo’s large enclosure are made easier by the narrow-gauge train service, the Great Whipsnade Railway, and a free ZSL bus service that traverses the park. For those visitors to choose to drive their own cars around the Zoo, a highly recommended area is the so-called Asian zone, which is laid out along the lines of a steppe or continental flatland with herds of animals moving unimpeded across it.
With a huge animal population of over 2500 specimens, there is a lot for any visitor to take in across a single viewing of the Zoo, so it’s a good idea to devote an entire day to Whipsnade, or simply to concentrate on certain preferred species. Highlights are many, with wallabies, peacocks and other small speciments wandering freely between the enclosures: the reptile, primate and insect houses are especially popular with all age groups and are enclosed within the Discovery Centre.
Larger animals are at home at Whipsnade and its open spaces, including a small pride of African lions and their cubs (who have their own ‘Lions Of The Serengeti’ section), elephants and rhinos. Elsewhere, wildlife enthusiasts will enjoy the walk-through lemur enclosure, opened in 2007 by Dominic Byrne of Radio One’s Chris Moyles Show. The sea lions are always a popular attraction, as is the birdlife, including Indian peafowl, prairie marmots, junglefowl, macaws, cranes and parrots. Small forest mammals such as Chinese water deer and muntjac can be seen in their own habitat, along with larger enclosures devoted to giraffes and a special farm exhibition.
The history of the Zoo in the 20th century was littered with incidents. Although the animal collection was increased in 1932 after the purchase of specimens from a travelling menagerie (during which operation many of the larger creatures were walked to the zoo from Dunstable train station!), the advent of World War II was a threat to the establishment’s security. In due course the zoo became a refuge for animals evacuated from London Zoo. A hail of bombs fell in 1941, but the only casualty was a young giraffe who died after the shock of the explosions. The Zoo served to maintain Britain’s non-indigenous animal populations during the rest of the war, with three giant pandas forming the central attraction of the collection before they were returned to London to boost the citizens’ morale. To this day, visitors can see bomb craters from the war which have been turned into ponds for the birdlife.
As with many of the larger British wildlife attractions, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is an entirely independent body which receives no funds from central government and as such is reliant on gate fees to survive. The Gift Aid charity scheme provides a large chunk of its income and assists the Zoo with the various conservation projects that form such an important part of its mission. The Zoo also retains income from other, less orthodox sources – for example when ITV filmed an episode of its Primeval series there. The episode, broadcast in 2007, revolved around the emergence into the present day of a fictional creature known as the ‘Future Predator’ and the attempts of a team of scientists to kill it.
Whipsnade Zoo remains one of Britain’s finest wildlife attractions: an obvious companion to London Zoo and sharing many of that organisation’s aims and visiting public, Whipsnade is an enduring reminder of man’s relationship with his fellow animals. It should form part of the itinerary of any visitor to the UK, especially those with children, who will enjoy the chance to interact with a wide variety of animals in an environment which is sympathetic to their needs while loyal to the nature of the British countryside.