ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is a fabulous day out for the whole family brimming with outdoor activities at every turn. If you're looking for things to do outside, here are 9 ways you can make the best of our 600-acre countryside sanctuary - with some surprising things to do with kids!
1. It’s enormous
Dust off those cobwebs, ditch the sofa and bask in the fresh air with a glorious walk and outdoor activities around our 600-acre site. Proudly the biggest Zoo in the UK, there’s so much to see that it’s probably worth planning a return visit.
2. There’s thousands of animals to see
Whipsnade is home to more than 2,500 animals from over 200 different species! These range from the very small (like butterflies) to the very tall, and everything in between. Don't miss the only sloth bear in the UK, Colombo, and find out how we’re helping to conserve some of the world’s most endangered species.
3. …including wild ones
It's a great place to look out for rare wildlife as it’s situated on chalk grassland, one of the most endangered habitats in the UK. Over half of the country’s butterfly species have been recoreded in the vicinity, and it’s also home to a quarter of Bedfordshire’s bat hibernation sites. In 2019, a black-throated thrush chose our grounds as its home – a bird that hasn’t been spotted anywhere else in the UK for years!
3. You can drive through it!
One of the best outdoor activities available and situated in the leafy county of Bedfordshire, a picturesque less-than-an-hour drive from London, not only does ZSL Whipsnade Zoo make for a fab family road trip – but you can bring the car in when you get there.
6. It’s up a hill
If you want a Zoo with a view, things to do outside and plenty of fresh air, then we’ve got that covered. We’ve got stunning views over the Chiltern Downs, where you can see for miles and miles – including all three local counties, visible from the same spot.
7. You can walk with wallabies and maras
Hopping happily around you as you stroll around the spacious site are leggy Patagonian maras and lolloping Bennet’s wallabies. You can’t turn your head without finding yourself surrounded by free-roaming furry friends!
8. We have a baby rhino!
Thumping into the world in August 2021, baby Nandi is making quite the impression on keepers and visitors alike.
Southern white rhinos are the world’s second largest land mammal. According to the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species, there are approximately 10,000 Southern white rhinos left in the wild, and their numbers are decreasing, so Nandi is a really special addition to the herd.
9. You’re saving wildlife with every visit
Just by coming along to our outdoor activities at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, you’ll be helping us work for a world where wildlife thrives, by learning about our incredible species. If you include a donation in your ticket price, you’ll be contributing to furthering our global conservation work, so that the world is still full of diverse creatures when your little ones are all grown up.
Don’t take it from us though, make some memories and come and see for yourself!
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