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
          Vinning, Miss R F
          SUP/5/1/2/230 · File · 1946
          Part of Superintendents

          Photograph of a deer called Pixie, with correspondence between Miss R F Vinning and Geoffrey Marr Vevers regarding the sale of a pair of Wallabies from Whipsnade
          Van-Praag, S E
          SUP/5/1/2/227 · File · 1946
          Part of Superintendents

          Correspondence with Geoffrey Marr Vevers regarding an article written by S E Van-Praag on Whipsnade for the journal Zoo Life
          Turner, Sydney
          SUP/5/1/2/215 · File · 1946
          Part of Superintendents

          Correspondence between Sydney Turner and Geoffrey Marr Vevers regarding supplies of Ilex for Okapi and the Wild Turkeys at Whipsnade to be sent to Holkham Park
          Tong, E H
          SUP/6/1/1/108 · File · 1949
          Part of Superintendents

          Correspondence between E H Tong and George Soper Cansdale regarding matters at Whipsnade, including causes of deaths of animals, animal record cards, the Canadian Department of Mines and Resources, the acquisition of animals, and animals on deposit from Germany
          Tong, E H
          SUP/5/1/2/213 · File · 1946
          Part of Superintendents

          Correspondence between E H Tong and Geoffrey Marr Vevers regarding the offer of the Council of the Zoological Society of London on the appointment of Superintendent at Whipsnade Park
          Tong, E H
          SEC/13/1/138 · File · 1963
          Part of ZSL Secretaries

          Letter from E H Tong regarding snow drifts at Whipsnade, the arrival of a female Pygmy Hippo presented to The Queen, and a parasite that had been causing trouble in the Grevy's Zebra
          The Objects of Whipsnade Park
          SEC/9/2/27/6 · Item · 12 Dec 1934
          Part of ZSL Secretaries

          Report from the Whipsnade Committee regarding the general policy by which the development of Whipsnade should be pursued