To elaborate on Tim's point, the function of Ouseley Reservoir was intended to be two fold: to act as a reservoir and for the pond below it (to the right of the stairway) to house various waterfowl.
Just a couple of other points about Ouseley Pond and the reservoir:-
According to the “Centenary History of the Zoological Society of London” (Peter Chalmers- Mitchell; 1929) the reservoir held half-a-million gallons of water.
This reservoir is also referred to in the book “Whipsnade My Africa” (Lucy Pendar; 1991); the author’s father was the first resident engineer at Whipsnade and looking after the associated pumping station was one of his responsibilities.
In the early days of Whipsnade Zoo, various exotic amphibians such fire salamanders, fire-bellied toads, green tree frogs etc were released in and around Ouseley Pond.
