Watch more than 1,100 tonnes of chalk stamped onto Whipsnade’s iconic white lion
A team of volunteers have finished their five-month project to revamp the huge chalk lion on the hills next to Whipsnade Zoo.
The 147m-long white lion sits on Dunstable Downs, home to rare flora and fauna meaning that no pesticides or machinery was used to seal in the new chalk layer.
The volunteers used a divide and conquer approach to stamp new chalk into the head, body and tail. A wet morning made for the the perfect conditions for the teams to stamp in the afternoon sunshine with the chalk being soft under foot.
Sara Nicholas, volunteer advisor at Whipsnade Zoo, said: “The atmosphere on the white lion was amazing. There were some very unique approaches to stamping, with a few groups breaking out a line dance, or ‘lion dance’, to make sure their section was well and truly compacted.”
The monument, which was completed in 1933, is looking fresh ahead of the 200th anniversary of ZSL, the conservation charity which runs Whipsnade Zoo.
Owen Craft, director of zoo operations at ZSL, said: “Whipsnade Zoo’s white lion has stood proud on the Dunstable Downs for almost half of those 200 years, so it was really heart-warming to see so many people come together for its revamp ahead of our celebrations.”
The volunteers will hand weed it every Thursday morning.
Sara added: “With so many staff and other volunteers from across the breadth of ZSL, including zookeepers, horticulturists, and our presenter team, temporarily joining the White Lion Posse to help stamp in the chalk that has been spread over its colossal head, body and tail, it was a true team effort.”