The Whipsnade White Lion

The Whipsnade white lion is a chalk figure that was carved out of the hillside between 1931 to 1933. The chalk carving is an iconic local landmark, and an important part of Whipsnade Zoo's history, which can be seen for miles.

The white lion covers an area of around 6,500 square metres. It’s nearly 150 metres long - the tail alone is 4 metres wide! In fact, it's so big it was covered during World War II as it would have been a very useful navigation aid to enemy planes.

In 2025, 1,100 tonnes of chalk was spread across the famous lion, and over sixty people gathered to complete the final step of the revamp - stamping it all down. The iconic landmark now shines brightly for ZSL's 200th anniversary.