Get closer to nature
Meet our animals. From a herd of Asian elephants to vast different species of butterflies and invertebrates, we have over 10,000 animals at Whipsnade Zoo.
Discover incredible facts about your favourite species - from their favourite snacks to the threats they face in the wild. And find out how we're using our expertise to protect them with cutting-edge wildlife conservation. You can also download our full species register document.
- Ceratotherium simum ssp. simum
Southern white rhino
White rhinos are the largest rhino species weighing up to 2.3 tonnes which is heavier than a car!
- Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata
Reticulated giraffe
Giraffes have the same number of neck bones as people, their heart beats twice as fast as human's and they stand at 2 metres tall as new a new born giraffe.
- Elephas maximus
Asian elephant
Asian elephants are more closely related to the extinct woolly mammoth than to the African elephant.
- Panthera leo
African lion
Lions 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.
- Hippopotamus amphibius
Hippo
Hippos make their own 'sunscreen', which they secrete through their skin to keep it moist and protect them from the sun's rays.
- Panthera tigris altaica
Amur tiger
The largest and heaviest of the world’s big cats, as well as the heaviest, by the 1940s, fewer than 40 Amur tigers were thought to remain in the wild
- Ailurus fulgens
Red panda
A red panda's diet mainly consists of bamboo, and they have thick fur to protect them from their rainy, mountainous habitat in the Himalayas
- Acinonyx jubatus
Cheetah
Cheetahs can reach speeds of up to 100km per hour (70mph) and are the world's fastest land mammal.
- Orycteropus afer
Aardvark
Aardvarks are nocturnal and solitary animals, and their burrows provide vital homes for many endangered species.
- Osteolaemus tetraspis
African dwarf crocodile
The world's smallest crocodile, they guard their young after they've hatched to protect them from predators.
- Spheniscus demersus
African penguin
These penguins are from warm climates, coming from the beaches of South Africa and Namibia.
- Lycaon pictus
African wild dog
African wild dogs each have their own unique markings and they are one of the most successful predators in the world, with a ‘kill rate’ per hunt of up to 70%.
