ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2025

[cerperal]

The ones they published at least...
Perhaps these were the zoos which lobbied for the legislation change?
Surely, the species cant suddenly have become domesticated and changed from 'dangerous' to 'pet' in just a couple of generations.
Or - maybe those zoos which do this have just been lucky, so far?

Or maybe there's no conspiracy and in this case the pointless red tape has been removed in a rare act of 'elf and safety not going mad? The logic being those either interacting or in possession of such creatures are trained and knowledgeable and not going to go out of their way to provoke an interaction that causes the human end of the party injury. Interacting with capybaras is safer than interacting with a housecat, let alone a dog, let alone something like a donkey which I am sure you will not be campaigning to be listed as a dangerous animal any time soon. With supervision of keepers, they are more than just safe - they are probably the most docile animals you can encounter.

A random example of dangerous animal listings being either misleading or very subjective - plenty of zoos allow visitors to interact directly with tapirs, and all of them allow keepers to be in with them. They are classed as dangerous animals in this country. They have been known to snap people's arms off, and I believe it was only relatively recently at Bristol someone was killed by one. But provided staff and visitors equally are neither complacent nor incompetent, they are hilariously docile. There have been no incidents in the UK as far as I am aware since the one at Bristol. If you fall into a tapir exhibit, it's not going to be death by a thousand trunks. But they are, quite correctly, labelled as dangerous animals.

Any animal is dangerous if not correctly dealt with. But equally, many dangerous animals pose no threat if handled correctly.

Edit: Should have double checked before posting - I'm conflating several events. The original article by Darren Naish I originally read this all on is here (I stupidly searched for it on the Tetzoo site)

Tapir attacks past, present, but hopefully not future

A keeper lost an arm at Oklahoma City zoo while feeding a mother tapir with a calf. A similar incident resulted in a broken arm at a Japanese zoo, and at Bristol a keeper was bitten on the arm through bars while feeding a tapir. The most recent was a 2-year-old bitten during a feeding encounter at Dublin Zoo. All involved calves. Tapirs without calves are still, however, referred to as dangerous animals.

 

[Tim May]

Earlier this year, there was some discussion in this thread about the unsatisfactory bus service between Luton and Whipsnade.

It should be noted that, rather like last year, there is now a special summer bus route between Luton and Whipsnade which started on 5th April and runs every weekend, Bank Holiday and school holiday until 31st August.

See the attachment for more details.

 

[Lafone]

Forgot to add from the visit today - the Blue Cranes are sitting on two eggs. After the breeding success last year (last hatching was around end July 2024), hope these might hatch and bring more youngsters this year.

 

[Cat-Man]

Earlier this year, there was some discussion in this thread about the unsatisfactory bus service between Luton and Whipsnade.

It should be noted that, rather like last year, there is now a special summer bus route between Luton and Whipsnade which started on 5th April and runs every weekend, Bank Holiday and school holiday until 31st August.

See the attachment for more details.

I’m very happy to hear this is the case. Good move.

 

[Panthera1981]

Restoration work on the Whipsnade White Lion has begun in time for ZSL’s bicentenary.

Using over 1000 tonnes of chalk, the last substantial works were in 2018. Pesticide use is also banned as the lion is part of an SSSI

 

[Joker22Hero]

Earlier this year, there was some discussion in this thread about the unsatisfactory bus service between Luton and Whipsnade.

It should be noted that, rather like last year, there is now a special summer bus route between Luton and Whipsnade which started on 5th April and runs every weekend, Bank Holiday and school holiday until 31st August.

See the attachment for more details.

Having used this bus service on the first weekend it was running I must say it worked very well, arriving and leaving on time and allowing you to have a full day at the zoo! A shame there were only about 8 other people on it, on a Sunday

 

[Burribro]

First time post, and I apologise if this is rehashing old ground, but if the hippos are leaving to be in a more modern, purpose built facility that better suits their needs, is that not something that ZSL should be applauded for in giving up what is a popular if not incredibly smelly! attraction of the zoo.

Me and my 6 year old have annual passes, and whilst he likes seeing the Hippos, I can't say they are one of his favourites. He's disappointed they are going, but I think he'll just as much welcome the Capybaras as well. As someone who has been visiting Whipsnade for all my life, it will be a shame to lose the Hippos, but again, if theres a better place for them to go...

 

[polarbear]

Having used this bus service on the first weekend it was running I must say it worked very well, arriving and leaving on time and allowing you to have a full day at the zoo! A shame there were only about 8 other people on it, on a Sunday

I used it during a school holiday last year and it was well used that day. The problem with the bus info on the website at the moment is that it’s linked below info regarding a different local bus!

 

[pipaluk]

First time post, and I apologise if this is rehashing old ground, but if the hippos are leaving to be in a more modern, purpose built facility that better suits their needs, is that not something that ZSL should be applauded for in giving up what is a popular if not incredibly smelly! attraction of the zoo.

Me and my 6 year old have annual passes, and whilst he likes seeing the Hippos, I can't say they are one of his favourites. He's disappointed they are going, but I think he'll just as much welcome the Capybaras as well. As someone who has been visiting Whipsnade for all my life, it will be a shame to lose the Hippos, but again, if theres a better place for them to go...

If every time another zoo builds a new facility Whipsnade moves a species out there will be nothing left !
Hippos have done well at Whipsnade for decades and whilst the accommodation isn't the best, it is probably better than the other 3 holders in the UK ( I am referring to Longleat's previous housing not the new one) so I don't see why somewhere else building a new facility suddenly makes an enclosure unacceptable.

 

[Pertinax]

Capybaras do sound an underwhelming replacement. They could just be an easily attainable placeholder instead of leaving the enclosure empty.

I am not sure capybara would be that much of a crowd-pleaser at Whipsnade. They can be popular at smaller zoos that lack major ABC species.

If they are to replace the Hippos at Whipsnade I agree they will probably not be very interesting to visitors in comparison to a lot of the megafauna they'll be seeing the same day. Trekking down to those pools to view them sitting some distance away on the other side of the water might not be the greatest experience unless they are swimming- but just how often do they enter colder water in a safe relaxed setting?

I often tend to overlook the power of the internet, and before that some films, to popularise certain species for (quite short) periods of time. There was 'Rio'(though no Spix macaw for people to go and see) then we had 'Wolverine' for a while and then more recently 'viral sensations' like the baby Pygmy Hippo 'Moo Deng'- though each of these internet fads quickly gets replaced by something else I think. But Zoos seem quick nowadays to capitalise on this trend e,g, Edinburgh and their 'Moo Deng' look-alike and London featured their gorillas on facebook after the brief '100 men versus a gorilla' debate.. Are Capybara a current trend that ZSL are trying to capitalise on? The one that recently escaped at Hoo Farm certainly brought in the extra visitors, but how long for?

 

[Pertinax]

Restoration work on the Whipsnade White Lion has begun in time for ZSL’s bicentenary.

Using over 1000 tonnes of chalk, the last substantial works were in 2018. Pesticide use is also banned as the lion is part of an SSSI

Love the Whipsnade Lion....it seems like just last week it was being cleaned but that's actually six years ago!

 

[rhinofan12]

Someone commented about some work being doing by the lions, they have made a couple of areas of hardstanding, if I was to hazard a guess I would say this was for the trolls event they are running through the summer.
Also they have added what seems to be some virtual reality machines by the kids play area.

 

[Lafone]

Love the Whipsnade Lion....it seems like just last week it was being cleaned but that's actually six years ago!

They've actually been working hard on it recently as the BBC article being spoken about here covers, with the weeding and all the work the people do on the site to clear it and you can see it from miles away again as you go up through the villages in particular...the new chalk will make it really sing out.

 

[Lafone]

Someone commented about some work being doing by the lions, they have made a couple of areas of hardstanding, if I was to hazard a guess I would say this was for the trolls event they are running through the summer.
Also they have added what seems to be some virtual reality machines by the kids play area.

There are a few I'd say possibly event related with areas the statues / figures they spoke about can go on as you say, but also good spots for benches.

 

[Pertinax]

Hippos have done well at Whipsnade for decades and whilst the accommodation isn't the best, it is probably better than the other 3 holders in the UK ( I am referring to Longleat's previous housing not the new one) so I don't see why somewhere else building a new facility suddenly makes an enclosure unacceptable.

Whipsnade's is/was certainly better than what West Midlands used to have- they had an offshow shed plus a small piece of land space, this for up to nine hippos at one stage, while the water was absolutely black and foetid, yet nobody ever seemed to complain about that. They have now upgraded their complex though I'm not familiar with the current layout.

Its a shame nobody/zoo in the UK is prepared to stomach the cost of an underwater viewing exhibit for hippos, it shows them in a completely different light.

 

[Pertinax]

if I was to hazard a guess I would say this was for the trolls event they are running through the summer.

What is a trolls event?

 

[Lafone]

What is a trolls event?

A kid thing for the holidays. There is a load of stuff gone up around the old elephant 'display' place too opposite the zebras, temporary tents, bale seating etc.

Trolls: A Field Study | Whipsnade Zoo

 

[Typhlonectes]

I for one believe they should build a reptile house on the grounds of the old hippo exhibit

 

[Cat-Man]

Whipsnade's is/was certainly better than what West Midlands used to have- they had an offshow shed plus a small piece of land space, this for up to nine hippos at one stage, while the water was absolutely black and foetid, yet nobody ever seemed to complain about that. They have now upgraded their complex though I'm not familiar with the current layout.

Its a shame nobody/zoo in the UK is prepared to stomach the cost of an underwater viewing exhibit for hippos, it shows them in a completely different light.

I suspect if Longleat didn't already have the best hippo enclosure in the world, they'd have been the most obvious candidate to do so.

 

[SealionLDN]

If every time another zoo builds a new facility Whipsnade moves a species out there will be nothing left !

I understand you’re writing from a place of passion for Whipsande, but I’m a bit baffled by this.


There are many reasons the hippos are moving, some of which we may never know, but the main one is probably a stud book recommendation.


If a zoo is willing to spend the money and build a new breeding facility that raises the standards of enclosure for that species in the UK, Europe or even globally, then of course animals should be moved there. At the end of the day all accredited zoos and keepers are working together towards the same goals which are to provide the best possible welfare for the animals in their care, maintain a successful breeding program for the species in captivity, and to conserve animals in the wild. Sometimes that means moving animals to another zoo.


Zoos are constantly evolving and stands rising. If zoos went by the logic of not moving animals to better enclosures that will provide even higher welfare than they had previously, whether that be within the same collection or moving to another collection, we would still have animals in concrete prison cells. Whipsnade just build the fantastic Monkey Forest facility, which saw (among other species) Sulawesi Crested Macaques move from Jersey and London to a bigger and better facility where they are in a bigger group and have bred successfully. The new Longleat facility will provide the same for the hippos, bringing a larger group together (Than is currently at Whipsnade) to continue the captive breeding of the species and maintain a strong gene pool.


But I 100% understand your passion and I sometimes feel the same, but it’s always important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture of what zoos are collectively working toward.