Meet The Animals At Whipsnade Zoo

Come face to face with our largest residents, the Asian Elephant. This is your chance to get up close to one of our herd, hand feed them and ask one of our expert elephant keepers all about them. The largest of Whipsnade’s residents they live in herds and can be found across Asia. Their numbers are currently declining due to habitat loss and poaching and by taking part in this experience you are helping to support ZSL’s elephant conservation project in Thailand.

Did you know

An elephant’s trunk has approximately 100,000 individual muscles and it can take an elephant calf a whole year to master. Elephants use their trunk for eating, drinking, communication and even as a snorkel as they are swimming.

Ticket prices

• £99 per person

 

Our Meet the Elephant experience is now fully booked for 2016. Any cancellations will be put back on sale via the link below. (NB: Dates for 2017 will be available on 1st November)

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The experience runs Wednesday to Sunday and also on Bank holiday Mondays, from 28th May to 30th September. You must be at the meeting point at 11.20am ready for the experience to begin at 11.30am. 

 

Terms and conditions

• General admission ticket or valid membership per person must be purchased to be allowed entry into the zoo and take part in the Meet the Elephants experience..
• You will be taken behind the scenes by one of our expert elephant keepers, before feeding one of our herd.
• Please listen to the keeper at all times. (Your safety as well as the welfare of all animals is their upmost priority. As such, the keeper can stop the encounter or ask participants to exit the VIP area at any time should they feel necessary.)
• Maximum of 6 participants per experience, each of whom must have a valid Meet the Elephants ticket.
• Children: must be over 3 years of age and be accompanied by an adult, no more than 2 children per adult. Each adult must also have a valid Meet the Elephants ticket.
• Appropriate closed toe footwear must be worn for the experience.
• Disabilities: Participants with learning or visual impairment must be accompanied by a carer who takes full responsibility for the adherence of health and safety and welfare protocols. Accompanying carers can enter the VIP area free of charge but must not participate in the experience.  Please note: Wheelchair access is not available for this experience.
• Pregnant/ nursing mothers who have given birth within the previous six months cannot participate for health and safety reasons.  
• Cancellations: ZSL reserves the right to alter the experience or cancel on any given day if necessary. We will endeavour to contact you via email at least 24-hours before your visit to notify you of any changes. We recommend checking your emails on the day before your visit in case we have emailed you. If these changes result in you missing the encounter or you are no longer able to attend, please contact us to discuss options.
• Turning up late will invalidate your ticket and will not be refunded.
• Bookings cancelled up to 14 days before the date will be eligible for a full refund. Thereafter changes will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of ZSL. 

 

This is your chance to go eye to eye with our tallest animals whilst you feed them their favourite browse. By taking part in this experience you will be supporting ZSLs vital conservation work which includes the training of next generation conservationists around the world desperately needed to continue protecting our planets’ amazing animals.

Did you know

Giraffes live in Africa, in grassland and woodland habitats. They eat mainly acacia leaves but also shoots, fruits and other vegetation. Surprisingly, giraffes have the same number of bones in the neck as we do – seven. Valves in neck prevent blood rushing to the head when they bend down to drink. Babies stand at about two metres at birth - their horns lie flat at birth and pop up several days later.

Ticket prices for 2016

• £54 per person Mon - Sun

The experience takes place daily at 12.15pm, May-October and you must be at the meeting point at 12.05pm.

The meeting point is located by the ground floor indoor viewing area of the giraffe house.

2017 dates will be available for booking on 1st November 2016

BOOK NOW

Terms and conditions

• General admission ticket or valid membership per person must be purchased to be allowed entry into the zoo and take part in the Meet the Giraffes experience.

• Please listen to the keeper at all times. (Your safety as well as the welfare of all animals is their upmost priority. As such, the keeper can stop the encounter or ask participants to exit the VIP area at any time should they feel necessary.)

• Appropriate closed toe footwear must be worn for the experience.

• Maximum of 6 participants per experience. Children: must be at least 3-foot in height and be accompanied by an adult, no more than 2 children per adult. Each adult must also has a valid Meet the Giraffes ticket.

• Disabilities: Participants with learning or visual impairment must be accompanied by a carer who takes full responsibility for the adherence of health and safety and welfare protocols. Accompanying carers can enter the VIP area free of charge but must not participate in the experience. Wheelchair access is available for this experience.

• Pregnant/ nursing mothers who have given birth within the previous six months cannot participate for health and safety reasons.  

• Cancellations: ZSL reserves the right to alter the experience or cancel on any given day if necessary. We will endeavour to contact you via email at least 24-hours before your visit to notify you of any changes. We recommend checking your emails on the day before your visit in case we have emailed you. If these changes result in you missing the encounter or you are no longer able to attend, please contact us to discuss options. Turning up late will invalidate your ticket and will not be refunded. Bookings cancelled up to 14 days before the date will be eligible for a full refund. Thereafter changes will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of ZSL.

Be one of the privileged few to meet our pride of African lions. Previously widespread across sub-saharan Africa, they are falling in number. By taking part in this experience you will be supporting ZSL’s vital conservation programmes protecting amazing species such as these whose future is threatened due to habit loss and poaching. 

Did you know

Lions are unique among cats in that the male can be easily distinguished from the female (lioness) because he possesses a mane of hair. As in most cats, the eyes are adapted for seeing at night when they do a lot of hunting. The claws can be retracted in sheaths to prevent them getting blunted when walking across the savannah, which they can do almost noiselessly on soft pads.

 

Ticket prices for 2016

• £84 per person

The experience takes place Friday-Monday at 3pm, April-October. Please be at the meeting point at 2.50pm. The meeting point is located in the glass viewing area at the lion enclosure.

2017 dates will be available to book on 1st November 2016

BOOK NOW

Terms and conditions

• General admission ticket or valid membership per person must be purchased to be allowed entry into the zoo and take part in the Meet the Lions experience.

• Please listen to the keeper at all times. (Your safety as well as the welfare of all animals is their upmost priority. As such, the keeper can stop the encounter or ask participants to exit the VIP area at any time should they feel necessary.)

• Appropriate closed toe footwear must be worn for the experience.

• Maximum of 4 participants per experience. Children: must be at least 12 years of age and be accompanied by an adult, no more than 2 children per adult. Each adult must also has a valid Meet the Lions ticket.

• Disabilities: Participants with learning or visual impairment must be accompanied by a carer who takes full responsibility for the adherence of health and safety and welfare protocols. Accompanying carers can enter the VIP area free of charge but must not participate in the experience. Wheelchair access is not available for this experience.

• Pregnant/ nursing mothers who have given birth within the previous six months cannot participate for health and safety reasons.  

• Cancellations: ZSL reserves the right to alter the experience or cancel on any given day if necessary. We will endeavour to contact you via email at least 24-hours before your visit to notify you of any changes. We recommend checking your emails on the day before your visit in case we have emailed you. If these changes result in you missing the encounter or you are no longer able to attend, please contact us to discuss options. Turning up late will invalidate your ticket and will not be refunded. Bookings cancelled up to 14 days before the date will be eligible for a full refund. Thereafter changes will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of ZSL

Come and meet one of the largest big cats, our Amur tigers. There may be as few as 400 Amur tigers left in the Russian Far East and by taking part in this experience you will be supporting ZSL's Amur tiger conservation project which is focussed on population monitoring, anti-poaching efforts, and increasing education and awareness.

Did you know

Amur tigers have the lightest coat of all the tigers as they are adapted to the forest on the Russian Far East. They also have the largest territories of all the tiger sub-species, this is because their prey is found in very low densities, so they have to search over large areas to find enough food to eat.

 

Ticket prices for 2016

• £84 per person

The experience takes place at 10.30am on Tuesdays, Thursday, Saturdays and Sundays, April - October.

You must be at the meeting point at 10.20am. The meeting point is located by the decking area, at the end of the yard byt the tiger house.

2017 dates will be available to book on 1st November 2016

 

BOOK NOW

Terms and conditions

• General admission ticket or valid membership per person must be purchased to be allowed entry into the zoo and take part in the Meet the Tigers experience.

• Please listen to the keeper at all times. (Your safety as well as the welfare of all animals is their upmost priority. As such, the keeper can stop the encounter or ask participants to exit the VIP area at any time should they feel necessary.)

• Appropriate closed toe footwear must be worn for the experience.

• Maximum of 4 participants per experience. Children: must be at least 12 years of age and be accompanied by an adult, no more than 2 children per adult. Each adult must also has a valid Meet the Tigers ticket.

• Disabilities: Participants with learning or visual impairment must be accompanied by a carer who takes full responsibility for the adherence of health and safety and welfare protocols. Accompanying carers can enter the VIP area free of charge but must not participate in the experience. Wheelchair access is not available for this experience.

• Pregnant/ nursing mothers who have given birth within the previous six months cannot participate for health and safety reasons.  

• Cancellations: ZSL reserves the right to alter the experience or cancel on any given day if necessary. We will endeavour to contact you via email at least 24-hours before your visit to notify you of any changes. We recommend checking your emails on the day before your visit in case we have emailed you. If these changes result in you missing the encounter or you are no longer able to attend, please contact us to discuss options. Turning up late will invalidate your ticket and will not be refunded. Bookings cancelled up to 14 days before the date will be eligible for a full refund. Thereafter changes will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of ZSL