The Ultimate Animal Challenge

This summer, take on The Ultimate Animal Challenge at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. From 23 July to 4 September, go head-to-head with your friends and family to find out who’s the real leader of the pack.

Can you forage as fast as a meerkat? Or be as stealthy as a tiger? Compete against your friends and family in each task and go for the glory!

Follow our Ultimate Animal Challenge trail around Whipsnade Zoo, testing your skills against the best of the best, then combine all of your skills to take on our challenges in the event hub. Don’t forget to check the leaderboard – finish top at the end of the summer and you’ll win some Zoo-tastic prizes.

We’ll also have face painting stands*, delicious food and drink* - including afternoon tea* - and unique animal talks about our species’ special skills. Plus, head over to the games station to play animal board games, with the option to make your own playing piece out of clay!

The Ultimate Animal Challenge activities are included in your Zoo entry ticket and many of them are fully accessible to those with additional needs (see more information below). 
 

• The Ultimate Elephant Challenge: Memory
  Elephants are well-known for their incredible memories, which they utilise in the wild to revisit places with plentiful food and water. Test your own recall skills in this challenge and see if you can remember where we’ve hidden all the elephants’ food!
• The Ultimate Tiger Challenge: Stealth
  In the wild, tigers track their prey from afar before carefully and quietly edging in for the final catch. Can you be as stealthy as a tiger to sneak up on a grazing deer?
• The Ultimate Meerkat Challenge: Foraging
  Meerkats in the wild spend a large part of their day foraging for food. In this challenge, you’ll compete against your friends and family to find as much food as possible in the sand pit before the timer runs out.
• The Ultimate Chimp Challenge: Logic
  Chimps use their impressive brain power to get food, using sticks to retrieve termites from mounds and stones to bash open nuts. Put your logic to the test in this challenge and see if you can complete our puzzles in the fastest time.
• The Ultimate Showdown**
  Combine your tracking and foraging skills in this exciting game. Go head-to-head with your family to see who comes out top in our giant inflatable challenge!
• The Ultimate Face-Off Challenge
  Play as individuals or set up a relay team on this course. Compete against the other coloured teams to build your jigsaw the fastest and steal all the glory!

BOOK ZOO TICKETS NOW

All tickets must be booked online in advance. Under 3s and ZSL members go free. Members, Patrons and Fellows do not need to book tickets in advance.

Not a ZSL member? Sign up to our emails for the latest updates, zoo news and ticket information.
 

This event includes accessible routes and activities; more information on individual activities can be found below. We also have a visual story for this event. 
 

Activity opening times

• The Ultimate Elephant Challenge, The Ultimate Tiger Challenge and The Ultimate Chimp Challenge: 10am to 6pm
• The Ultimate Meerkat Challenge, The Ultimate Showdown, The Ultimate Face-Off Challenge and The Ultimate Game Changer (animal board games): 10.30 to 5pm 

*Additional charges apply. Afternoon tea must be pre-booked 24 hours in advance here. 
**Age, height or weight restrictions may be in place for this activity and weather conditions may affect availability. If the activity is closed when you first arrive, please check back throughout the day.