Whipsnade Zoo

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  • Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell (ZSL Secretary 1903-1935) was inspired by a visit to the Bronx Zoological Park to create a park in Britain as a conservation centre. Hall Farm, a derelict farm on the Dunstable Downs, 30 miles (48 km) to the north of London was purchased by the Zoological Society of London in 1926 for £13,480 12s 10d, The site was fenced, roads built and trees planted. The first animals arrived at the park in 1928, including two Lady Amherst's pheasants, a golden pheasant and five red junglefowl. Others soon followed, including muntjac, llama, wombats and skunks. Whipsnade Park Zoo opened on Sunday 23 May 1931. It was the first open zoo in Europe to be easily accessible to the visiting public. The collection of animals was boosted in 1932 by the purchase of a collection from a defunct travelling menagerie and some of the larger animals walked to the zoo from Dunstable station. During the Second World War, the zoo acted as a refuge for animals evacuated from London Zoo. During 1940, 41 bombs fell on the park with little damage to the zoo structure. Some of the ponds in the park are the remains of bomb craters from this period.

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      Whipsnade Zoo

      Whipsnade Zoo

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      Whipsnade Zoo

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        Whipsnade Zoo

          280 Archival description results for Whipsnade Zoo

          279 results directly related Exclude narrower terms
          Whipsnade
          SEC/9/2/20/5 · Item · 7 Mar 1927
          Part of ZSL Secretaries

          Note from the Secretary regarding the development of a Zoological Park at Hall Farm, Whipsnade
          Wages
          WHI/6/3 · File · 1955-1957
          Part of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

          Papers regarding salary scales and wages at Whipsnade
          Visit to Whipsnade Farm
          SEC/9/2/19/10 · Item · 20 Nov 1926
          Part of ZSL Secretaries

          Letter and map regarding a visit of the Members of the Council of the Zoological Society of London to inspect Whipsnade Farm on the Ashbridge Estate