Feasting time at the zoo
The Lookout Lodge cabins White rhino trumps like a trooper
forward to being woken in the morning by lions roaring and elephants trumpeting. Er, no. We slept so soundly that we had to be roused by the keeper! Incredible views from the cabin window soon got us jumping out of bed, however.
We headed to the newlyrenovated Basecamp restaurant for a hearty fry-up.
Suitably fuelled, it was time to board the bus to see some of the zoo’s residents having their breakfast.
We spotted super-elusive lynxes and wolverines and made serious friends with the lemurs by arriving with their breakfast. Next up were the wild Brown bears are mighty boars, then we nipped round to see the brown bears. They stopped their playfighting sharpish the moment they realised we were breakfast – well, not us, but the buckets of nosh we had brought!
The bears have slightly forlorn faces due to their lack of facial muscles. They may look like great big teddies but a closer view of their giant claws and huge muscles revealed they are one of the last things you’d want to cuddle.
The keepers were both knowledgeable and entertaining as they introduced us to Whipsnade’s wildlife.
For anyone with an interest in animal conservation, or a youngster desperate to work with animals when they grow up, this sleepover experience was unique and quite unforgettable.
The food was fab too. Even if they didn’t serve tiramizoo...
sleepover starts at €337 for two adults including dinner, breakfast, three tours, a two-day entrance ticket to Whipsnade Zoo (with the option to visit ZSL London Zoo on the second day) and car parking at Whipsnade. On family-friendly nights, an overnight stay is from €382 for two adults and one child sharing a lodge. zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo