Meet the animals of Wild Wild Whipsnade
Visitors to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo will soon be able to come face to face with lynx, brown bears, wolves, bison, moose and wolverine - the very animals they could once have bumped into in Britain’s rural woodland.
© ZSL - Dan Sprawson
Lynx
The Eurasian lynx is the largest wild cat in Europe. They were once quite common across the continent but, by the middle of the 19th century, they had vanished from most of Central and Western Europe.
Carbon dating work on lynx skulls by the National Museums of Scotland and the Craven caves in North Yorkshire showed they lived in Britain between 80 and 425 AD, dispelling the belief they died out thousands of years ago. The species even made it into Old English when it was known as ‘lox’.
European brown bear
The smallest of the brown bear subspecies, European brown bears were probably present in Britain until the 10th century. Despite dying out here because of hunting, the species still exists in northeast Europe and in Russia.
Despite a fearsome reputation, omnivorous brown bears pose very little threat to humans and domestic animals, with the majority of their diet coming from vegetable matter. Unless attacked and wounded or young are threatened, they will not normally attack.
Wolverine
The stocky and muscular wolverine is the largest land-dwelling member of the weasel family. Known for their strength, wolverines are capable of killing prey many times their own size – even up to the size of a moose.
Their thick, oily fur is highly water repellent. This is both a positive and a negative. It means the species is very well adapted for frosty conditions of a range that includes Scandinavia, Siberia and Alaska. However it sadly means it is popular with hunters looking for coat linings.
Moose
Herbivorous moose are capable of consuming any type of plant or fruit. A fully-grown adult needs to consume almost 10,000 calories a day to maintain its body weight, around four times that of a human adult.
Male shed their antlers after the mating season in order to save energy in winter. Once spring arrives a new set of antlers grow. This takes around three to five months, making them one of the fastest growing animal organs.
Wolf
Persecution by humans and habitat destruction has taken its toll on the grey wolf, once the world’s most widely ranging carnivore. Today, most wolf packs are far from their formidable image of terrorising humans, instead living in remote areas and hunting herds of deer.
Wolves howl to warm rival packs to stay keep their distance. Travelling up to six miles, their calls are key to defending their territories and announcing their presence.
Wild boar
Skillful wild boar can run fast, swim well and eat just about any food. The main ancestor of modern domestic pig breeds, they have a wide distribution and cover a variety of habitats across Europe, Asia and North Africa.
Adult males usually live alone except during the breeding season, when they fight other males for females. They are the only hoofed animals known to dig burrows.
European bison
The last European bison disappeared from England around the 12th century. It is the heaviest land mammal in Europe, weighing up to 907kg. They are lighter than their American relatives, with a shorter coat.
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