ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in the Chiltern Hills of Bedfordshire is the largest zoo in the United Kingdom by area, covering approximately 600 acres of downland above the Vale of Aylesbury that provides space for the large animal enclosures and open paddocks in which the zoo's exceptional collection of large mammals, birds and other species is housed. Whipsnade was opened by the Zoological Society of London in 1931 as a country complement to the urban ZSL London Zoo, the spacious downland site providing conditions in which large animals including Asian elephants, white rhinos, giraffes and the large herd of European bison could be maintained in environments far more appropriate to their needs than the confined spaces of a city zoo.
The zoo's position on the Chiltern escarpment gives it exceptional views over the Vale of Aylesbury below and a setting of considerable natural beauty, the combination of the open downland, the ancient beech woods at the scarp edge and the extensive grassland within the zoo creating an environment with its own intrinsic landscape value. The chalkhill blue and other butterfly species that use the unimproved chalk grassland within the zoo's perimeter are a reminder of the ecological value of this site beyond its role as an animal collection.
The drive-through section of the zoo, through which visitors in their own cars pass the paddocks containing large herbivores in a format reminiscent of a safari park, provides a different experience from the walking sections and allows closer approach to animals in open enclosures. The combined effect of the drive-through and the walking exhibits makes Whipsnade a full-day destination of considerable variety.
The Asian elephant herd at Whipsnade is one of the most significant in Europe and the zoo's elephant management and breeding programme is a major contribution to the conservation of this endangered species.