Lionesses, Penguins and Pygmy Goats Tear into Spooky Pumpkin Treats at Whipsnade Zoo 

Spirited lionesses Waka and Winta were amongst the many youngsters sinking their teeth into Halloween at Whipsnade Zoo today (Monday 30 October) as zookeepers treated animals across the zoo to a spook-tacular surprise.  

Zookeepers carved petrifying pumpkins for many of the 11,000 animals at the UK’s largest zoo, using the spooky squashes to put the animals' foraging and hunting skills to the test. 

Baby Cape Porcupine born at Whipsnade Zoo 

A tiny baby porcupette has been caught on camera tucking into carrots and tomatoes and exploring its new home, as Whipsnade zookeepers share behind the scenes videos of the spiky new addition - which was born at the conservation Zoo last month.  

No sleep for Whipsnade Zoo elephant herd as baby elephant wants to play 

Night vision cameras at Whipsnade Zoo’s Centre for Elephant Care show 11-month-old Asian elephant Nang Phaya crawling over aunties Lucha and Karishma, enticing them to play as they try and get some shuteye.  

Zookeepers at Whipsnade Zoo hand rear baby ‘vampire’ deer before they move to London Zoo next month 

Four three-week-old ‘vampire’ deer who measured just 12cm at birth, are being hand-reared by zookeepers at the UK’s largest conservation zoo – protecting an important population of the Vulnerable species.  

Known as vampire deer due to their set of sharp ‘fangs’, the tiny Chinese water deer weighed just over 400g when they were born - the same as a can of soft drink - and are being cared for by zookeepers around the clock to protect them from passing predators.  

Keepers at Whipsnade Zoo create winter wonderland for Asian elephant herd  

A baby elephant at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo has enjoyed her first taste of Christmas after keepers created a woody winter wonderland for the youngster to explore – officially beginning the countdown to Christmas at the UK’s largest zoo. 

Newborn giraffe calf born on Remembrance Day named after WW1 poet Wilfred Owen 

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo has shared adorable behind-the-scenes pics of its towering new arrival – a six-foot-tall baby giraffe born on Remembrance Day (Friday 11 November).  

Named Wilfred after the renowned WW1 poet Wilfred Owen, exclusive images and footage taken by keepers show the not-so-little one sharing some precious private bonding time with mum Luna and dad Bashu, before the youngster meets the rest of the herd at the UK’s largest zoo.  

Elephant calf named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, who met the calf’s mum on her last visit to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo 

A baby Asian elephant has been named the Thai word for ‘Queen’ at the UK’s largest Zoo, in honour of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo’s patron, Queen Elizabeth II, who once met the calf’s mum. 

The conservation Zoo gave the privilege of naming the not-so-tiny infant to ZSL conservationists who work in Thailand, protecting endangered, Asian elephants in the wild. The conservationists chose the name Nang Phaya (pronounced ‘nang-pie-yah'), which is an animal-related Thai word meaning ‘queen, or strong, female monarch.’ 

An endangered Asian elephant has been born at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire  

The pitter-patter, or rather thud-thud, of baby feet can be heard at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo after an endangered baby elephant was born on Monday 22 August.  

The 3cm-long baby chameleon was photographed by zookeepers perching on pencils and scampering up a keeper’s finger, after it hatched from its egg on Sunday 7 November. 

The little lizard has been nick-named “Titch” by keepers, until they are able to identify whether it is male or female. The Zoo hopes the miniature colour-shifter will be joined by siblings, who have not yet hatched. 

Team leader Alex Cliffe said: “This intricate, tiny creature is a wonderful addition to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. They are doing very well, snacking on fruit flies and exploring their environment.” 

Zookeepers at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo are still celebrating the recent birth of a giant.

A Reticulated Giraffe was born to first time mum, Luna, and dad, Bashu, on April 26. The new male calf has been named Khari, which means ‘King-like’ in Swahili, because of his regal-looking ossicones - the tiny crown-like horns on a Giraffe’s head.

Born as part of the European Breeding Programme (EEP) for the Endangered species, the adorable calf already stands head and shoulders above most of the residents at the UK’s largest zoo – hovering at almost six-feet tall.

Photo Credits: Zoological Society of London

ZSL team leader, Mark Holden, explained, “First-time mum Luna is doing a sterling job of looking after Khari - positively doting on her new arrival, while feeding and cleaning him regularly.”

“However, the birth was definitely a family affair; Dad Bashu was rubbing Luna’s neck encouragingly during her four-hour labour, while grandmother Ijuma helped to clean the youngster after the birth - and they’ve all since continued to be very involved in Khari’s care.”

Giraffe calves weigh more than the twenty times the average 7 lb. human when they’re born, weighing in at around 150 lbs. at birth.

Giraffes also give birth standing up, meaning their calves make an epic entrance into the world: falling six feet, hooves first to the ground, before learning to walk within an hour.

"Khari is a very confident calf, just like his father, Bashu, and is very inquisitive about his new surroundings…tottering around the Giraffe House exploring every inch of his new home.”

“Under his parents’ watchful gaze, Khari has even started to tentatively venture outside, so lucky visitors should be able to spot him stretching his legs…!”

The Giraffe is the tallest animal in the world. Males reach a towering 19 feet tall and weigh between 2400 and 4250 pounds. Females measure up to 17 feet tall and weigh between 1540 and 2600 pounds.

Giraffes have the same number of bones in the neck as humans – seven. Valves in their neck prevent blood rushing to the head when they bend down to drink. Babies stand at about two meters at birth - their horns lie flat at birth and pop up several days later.

Giraffes eat mainly acacia leaves but also shoots, fruits and other vegetation.

In the wild, Reticulated Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) are confined to northeastern Kenya, eastern Sudan and Eritrea. Reticulated Giraffes are the most distinctively patterned of the eight subspecies of Giraffe. Their coat has brown, regular, box-like patterns (called a reticulated pattern). White spaces between the patches form narrow lines. This elaborate pattern is good camouflage in dense, dry vegetation.