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ZSL - Whipsnade Zoo

ZSL - Whipsnade Zoo Dunstable Bedfordshire LU6 2LF


Enjoy an epic day out at the UK’s biggest zoo! Set in 600 acres of panoramic scenery and rolling Chiltern Hills, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is an adventure on an altogether different scale. Opened in 1931 by the Zoological Society of London, to provide a park for animals with natural surroundings and plenty of space, today’s visitors can see more than 2,500 animals. See the elephants on their daily walk around the Zoo, view the majestic rhino…

Campaign
Spotted on Site 1st Jan, 2024
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Defra funds zoo and aquarium conservation projects 10th Jul 2026 Members of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) will receive Government funding for their efforts to conserve native species.…
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Celebrating Pride Month: Queer Pioneers in STEM 18th Jun 2026 Maddie Humfryes (Engagement Officer, Whipsnade Zoo) on some of the pioneers from the LGBTQ+ community who gave us immeasurable scientific and technological…
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ZSL marks 200th anniversary with £20m boost for wildlife health 29th Apr 2026 Visitors will watch live veterinary procedures and conservation science in new wildlife health centre. ZSL marks its two hundredth anniversary today (Wednesday…
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ZSL appoints Kathryn England as first female Chief Executive in 200th year 9th Mar 2026 Celebrating 200 years of wildlife and the appointment of a new CEO; 2026 is proving to be a significant year for global conservation charity ZSL…
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Conservation charity takes students Inside Nature 2nd Dec 2025 Students of biology can now get inside nature without leaving their classrooms, thanks to a first-of-its-kind education programme created by ZSL, the…
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First-Ever Socorro Dove Chick Hatches at Whipsnade Zoo New hope for conservation of extinct-in-the-wild bird species 1st Oct 2025 AN EXTINCT-IN-THE-WILD Socorro dove has hatched at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire – the first time the conservation zoo has bred this species. The…
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Pride Blog: Queer Pioneers 13th Jun 2025 Maddie Humfryes, Visitor Programmes Officer at Whipsnade Zoo, on inspiring figures across natural history and science. As we celebrate Pride Month this…
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Allies for Wildlife: World Otter Day! 28th May 2025 Continuing our Love Your Zoo blog series, Maddy Tattersall (Newquay Zoo) is joined by ZSL teams to invent a new enrichment for otters: Today, May…
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BIAZA Photo Competition 2025 - the winners! 7th May 2025 Secret lives in zoos and aquariums have revealed in BIAZA's annual photography competition.  A playful rhino and a penguin optical illusion –…
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UK’s largest zoo plants Tiny Forest 20th Mar 2025 Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire has cultivated a Tiny Forest – 600 native trees planted densely in a tennis-court sized plot – to create a specially…
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Breeding success as Bristol charity joins mission to save Mexican pupfish from extinction 19th Feb 2025 Precious eggs from a rare Mexican fish species have successfully hatched at Bristol Zoological Society. Experts at the conservation and education charity…
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Whipsnade Zoo and Bristol Zoo Project launch ambitious plan to save a rare fish from extinction 22nd Nov 2024 Two zoos are spearheading a dramatic conservation effort to save a rare fish species from extinction.   Last week, Whipsande Zoo transported…
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Why is BIAZA running Fat Bear Week? 28th Oct 2024 Fat Bear Week, conceived to highlight the seasonal changes of bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park, has run for ten years and in that time become…
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First-time mum Fahari delivers healthy Southern white rhino calf at Whipsnade Zoo 16th Oct 2024 A baby Southern white rhino has been born at Whipsnade Zoo in the heart of Bedfordshire.  The male calf, who keepers estimate weighs less than 50kg,…
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Blog: Fostering Collaborative Science | Strengthening the bond between Zoos and Academia 11th Oct 2024 In the ever-evolving landscape of science and conservation, collaboration really is key to achieving success and impact, writes Dr Andrew Mooney (Senior…
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Extinct in the wild birds raised by London Zoo keepers released into wild for first time in 40 years 27th Sep 2024  For the first time since the 1980s, six sihek (Guam kingfisher) are now officially living in the wild, in the tropical forests of Palmyra Atoll…
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Saving nature’s giants 23rd Sep 2024 Whipsnade Zoo is celebrating an extraordinary result for a female greater one horned rhinoceros, which revealed medical treatment has significantly reduced…
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Flurry of fawns born at Whipsnade Zoo 29th Jul 2024 The pitter patter of tiny hooves can be heard across Whipsnade Zoo this summer, as the conservation zoo has seen a flurry of fawns born.   Ensuring…
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BIAZA Photo Competition 2024 - the winners! 11th Jul 2024 New stunning wildlife photography reveals world of zoos and aquariums. A kookaburra in flight, a stealthy maned wolf on the prowl – new stunning…
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The BIAZA Annual Awards 2024 - The Full List of Winners 17th Jun 2024 Each year, we recognise the achievements of BIAZA member zoos and aquariums across a wide range of categories in the BIAZA Annual Awards. Compiled below…
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ZSL leads Earth Day lessons for schoolchildren at 10 Downing Street 24th Apr 2024 Today, to mark Earth Day 2024, pupils from Greater Manchester, South Wales and London schools had the unique experience of stepping inside 10 Downing…
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Baby rhino charges into the world 19th Mar 2024 Zookeepers announce one-week-old southern white rhino calf born at Whipsnade Zoo. The southern white rhino calf, tipping the scales at 45kgs, was…
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A bright new addition at Whipsnade Zoo 1st Mar 2024 An Endangered François’ langur was born to mum Lulu and dad Wang in the early hours of Saturday 17 February.   In contrast to the…
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Zoo conservation saves extinct in the wild antelope 12th Dec 2023 The Scimitar-Horned Oryx has had its risk of extinction downgraded thanks to conservation efforts spearheaded by zoos and Governments. The antelope,…
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New breeding hope for Extinct antelope at Whipsnade Zoo 16th Nov 2023 The arrival of a desert antelope to Whipsnade Zoo is a crucial milestone in efforts to bring the species back from the brink of extinction.  The…
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Bats come home to roost at Whipsnade Zoo 26th Oct 2023 Alongside its rhinos and elephants, Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire is home to many wild UK native species, including British bats, making the 600-acre…
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Two baby yaks named Tonks and Cedric born at Whipsnade Zoo 20th Oct 2023 Two baby yaks named Tonks and Cedric have been captured on camera jumping for joy and bucking around the Dunstable Downs at Whipsnade Zoo - the magical…
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Blog: walk on the wild side of black history – the impact of diversity in conservation 19th Oct 2023 Marcus Merriman, Learning Officer at Whipsnade Zoo, on his role, background, and the importance of diversity in the conservation sector... Black history…
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Spiky bundle of joy! 28th Sep 2023 A tiny baby porcupette has been caught on camera tucking into carrots and tomatoes and exploring its new home, as Whipsnade zookeepers share behind the…
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Precious Escargot: Extinct snails head back to the wild 14th Sep 2023 Thousands of Extinct-in-the-Wild tropical tree snails bred at British conservation zoos have been flown more than 15,000km, accompanied by a Whipsnade…
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Endangered Francois langur baby born at Whipsnade Zoo 4th Sep 2023 A Francois langur baby pokes his amber head out from his mum’s tender embrace, as Whipsnade zookeepers celebrate the new birth as part of a successful…
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The BIAZA Annual Awards 2023 - The Full List of Winners 31st Aug 2023 Each year, we recognise the achievements of BIAZA member zoos and aquariums across a wide range of categories in the BIAZA Annual Awards. Having featured…
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Endangered red panda family grows with birth of twins at Whipsnade Zoo 3rd Aug 2023 One-month-old twin red pandas curl up in their cosy nest box at Whipsnade Zoo, as keepers celebrate their birth as part of a European breeding programme…
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Whipsnade zookeeper hand rears Extinct in the Wild birds in US ahead of first wild release 26th Jul 2023 A British zookeeper has swapped the rolling Dunstable Downs for the USA to help a team of specialists' hand rear four Extinct in the Wild Guam kingfisher…
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Blog: Skins, tissues, feathers and furs – biobank volunteering at ZSL 13th Jul 2023 ZSL Biobank volunteer, Emma Cornwell, tell us all about her work getting up close to artifacts and the challenges of identifying frozen, dry and wet specimens…
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The Education Access Scheme at London and Whipsnade Zoos 7th Jul 2023   The key aim of this project was to pilot if a membership-style model for local schools increased engagement. Previous research commissioned by…
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Chick adopted by flamboyant flamingos at Whipsnade Zoo 6th Jul 2023 A flamingo chick has been adopted by new parents after being abandoned as an egg - first spending a month in an incubator where dedicated zookeepers could…
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Zookeepers at Whipsnade Zoo hand rear baby ‘vampire’ deer before they move to London Zoo next month 23rd Jun 2023 Four three-week-old ‘vampire’ deer who measured just 12cm at birth, are being hand-reared by zookeepers at the UK’s largest conservation…
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Widening Participation at ZSL – The Careers and Youth Programme 22nd Jun 2023 In 2020 The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) launched its diversity and inclusion action plans, with ‘diversity in the workforce’ and ‘raising…
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Pride: The Fabulous, Forgotten Father of Paleobiology 21st Jun 2023 This month, in celebration of PRIDE and BIAZA Generations of Pride, we are giving space to LGBT+ voices from across the BIAZA membership. The PRIDE blogs…
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Saving Britain’s royal fish 3rd May 2023 An armour-plated fish once so popular that King Edward II declared it ‘royal’ is set to make a comeback thanks to an ambitious plan launched…
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‘Extinct’ snails return to the wild 27th Apr 2023 Zookeepers have returned more than 5,000 Extinct-in-the-Wild and Critically Endangered tropical snails bred at conservation zoos across the world to their…
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Przewalski's horse foal at Whipsnade Zoo takes first steps in conservation boost for the Endangered species 20th Apr 2023 Zookeepers are celebrating the birth of a Critically Endangered Przewalski’s foal at Whipsnade Zoo - the world’s last “truly wild”…
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Burrowing in captive juvenile Desertas wolf spiders (Hogna ingens) 29th Jul 2022 The Desertas wolf spider (Hogna ingens) is Critically endangered and is part of an EAZA ex-situ programme (EEP), managing the breeding of this species…
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Louise Jakobsen: How I became a Zookeeper - BIAZA Mini Blog 22nd Jul 2022 Louise Jakobsen, Senior Keeper & Browse Management Coordinator, ZSL London Zoo I was rather naive as a child, or perhaps not well-informed. I had…
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Vital research using elephant dung begins at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo 19th May 2022 ZSL Whipsnade Zoo’s Asian elephants are contributing to global conservation efforts - simply by producing a ready supply of fresh dung.   …
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WildCats Conservation Alliance 1st Jan 2022 WildCats Conservation Alliance is an initiative of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation (DWF). They are on a…
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Volunteer army comes to ZSL’s rescue 16th Aug 2021 June 2020 was an exciting time for English zoos as the go-ahead to re-open outdoor areas was finally given by the Government after a three-month national…
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Wild Elephant Conservation at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo 7th Nov 2019 This year, the elephant habitat at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is becoming a space for wild elephant conservation.
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Building the Evidence Base Needed to Conserve Chinese Giant Salamanders 9th Oct 2019 Find out more about ZSL's work in conserving this Critically Endangered salamander.
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ZSL's SPOTT: Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit 20th Sep 2019 Developed by ZSL, SPOTT is a free online platform which scores palm oil, timber and pulp, and natural rubber companies annually on their public disclosure of policies, operations and commitments related to sustainability
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ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Browse Plantation 18th Sep 2019 ZSL Whipsnade Zoo established a browse plantation to help with animal welfare.
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#OneLess 7th Dec 2017 Across the world millions of single-use plastic water bottles are used and discarded every day. The #OneLess campaign seeks to reduce the use of single - use plastic bottles.