Animal Christmas gifts
A bevy of baby animals were all treated to an early Christmas at the Zoo, with Zookeepers kicking off the festive season by treating the year’s new arrivals with food and gifts.
Our giraffe calves at Christmas
Endangered reticulated giraffe calves Myra and Timba woke up to find their breakfast encased in a giant Christmas stocking for them to pull their food from, while critically endangered Bactrian camel, Sally, discovered her very own personalised hessian sack to search through for snacks.
Our newest arrival Khulu, the 2-month-old southern white rhino calf, joined his half-brother Benja in some festive fun, as zookeepers decorated their expansive paddock with Christmas presents filled with their favourite snacks, encouraging them to put their great sense of smell to the test.
Hear from our Zookeepers
Animal Manager Hayley Jakeman said: “We’ve been delighted to welcome so many babies this year at Whipsnade Zoo - whether they’re an important addition to the conservation breeding programme, or a species that helps us inspire our visitors to love and care for wildlife, Christmas feels like the perfect time to celebrate them.”
“We love sharing the magic of Christmas with our animals, and putting novel items into our animals' homes helps to encourage their natural curiosity, as it gives them something new to explore. Some will need to use their sense of smell to work out that the unfamiliar items contain food, and others will need to use their brains to work out how to retrieve their food from inside its festive packaging.”
The perfect festive family outing this December, visitors can enjoy a jam-packed day of Christmas-themed animal talks, competitions, and the chance to bag some festive prizes at Whipsnade Zoo, all the while celebrating the giving season alongside the 10,000 animals that call the conservation zoo home.