The wonders of Whipsnade by night

What better after a long, stressful week at work, than to venture into the beautiful parkland of Whipsnade Wild Animal Park for a Friday evening of summer entertainment. On 20 and 27 June 2003, Whipsnade will be opening its gates for a special evening experience, which will allow you to escape the hustle and bustle of commuting and enjoy the pleasures of a car-free wildlife wilderness.

The open evening will be a perfect opportunity to see Whipsnade in a different light; listen out for the wolves howling as they gather together to settle down for the night, watch the macaws swoop over your head during the Bird Display or visit the new Splashzone and get a soaking from Barclay the sealion, just don't forget your waterproofs! Alternatively simply sit and enjoy the breathtaking view from the top of the Downs as the sun sets.

Whipsnade will be open from 7pm until 10pm, so there will be plenty of time to take the safari bus around the Park or even take a trip on Whipsnade's very own steam train, the Whipsnade Express to visit all the animals, including many of 2003's new babies. See the four little bactrian camels born in March, trot along side their mothers in Passage through Asia, the silvery marmoset twins or Santa's next generation of reindeer helpers with two calves born in May.
There will be live music on the night courtesy of steel and jazz bands as well as children's entertainment including magicians, jugglers and face painters.

Forget rustling up yet another meal and treat the family to something tasty from the food court, which will surround Café on the Lake. Choose from a BBQ, hot dog or a meal from the Café itself, alternatively enjoy a picnic in the English countryside. The Garden Bar will be open allowing you to wander, glass in hand, through the Cloister's garden admiring the tamarins sitting in the evening sun.

To enjoy this special summer evening at Whipsnade Wild Animal Park. Please book your tickets in advance from TicketWeb on 08700 600 100 or see our website www.whipsnade.co.uk

For further information please contact:
Leana Rochman, Press Officer
Tel: 020 7449 6361
Email: leana.rochman@zsl.org
PR Office mobile: 07889 043843

Entrance Costs
Adult - £12.50
Child - £9.50 (age 3-15)
Child under 3 years - FREE
Student - £10.50
Senior Citizen - £10.50

Getting to Whipsnade Wild Animal Park
Whipsnade is just north of London in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.
By car: Only 20 minutes from the M25 (junct.21). Signposted from the M1 (junct.9 & junct.12) and all major roads - just follow the brown elephant signs. For a detailed route to Whipsnade from your home town, use The AA's Route Planner service. Just enter your starting point, your destination - Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, and whether you want to travel via a certain place and avoid motorways. The result is a list of detailed instructions and a map, the journey's distance in miles and estimated time, and you can reverse the journey for your return.
For the AA's Route Planner, visit: www.theaa.com
There will be no cars allowed into the Park except those with valid disabled badges
By bus: For bus services from Luton and Dunstable call 0870 608 2608. Green Line Buses from London Victoria to Hemel Hempstead (summer only, and not on Sundays) call 0870 608 7261.
By train: Nearest stations are Luton and Hemel Hempstead (both about 10 miles away from the Park), for train services call 0345 484950.