Whipsnade Zoo White Lion lit up by birthday girl as part of ZSL's landmark anniversary
A 13-year-old girl celebrated her birthday in spectacular fashion after being chosen to switch on Whipsnade Zoo’s famous White Lion.
Pearl Bardwell, from Tring, Hertfordshire, was selected from more than 700 applications to light up the 147-metre chalk landmark as part of ZSL’s 200th anniversary celebrations.
Pearl attended the special event with her whole family on her 13th birthday. Luckily an inset day had given her the day off school – meaning she could spend the day shopping with her dad Bernie before heading to Ivinghoe Beacon with her stuffed lion, Chalkie.
And at 7.30pm yesterday (September 23) she pressed the button to illuminate the iconic White Lion for the first time in years.
Pearl’s mum, Kat Bardwell, had entered her daughter into the competition as an extra special birthday present.
She said: “Pearl is turning 13 the same day the White Lion is being lit, she is a huge fan of the Zoo and it’s been an important part of her life since she was tiny.
“She’s learned so much about wildlife during our many wonderful visits and spent many hours running around carefree and happy at the Zoo.
“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate her birthday than something as wonderful as this.”
Whipsnade Zoo has announced that the landmark will now light up every Wednesday at dusk until the end of 2026 as part of Wildlife Wednesday.
Owen Craft, director of zoo operations at Whipsnade Zoo, told the Luton News: “We’ve lit up our iconic 147-metre chalk lion here at Whipsnade Zoo as part of Wildlife Wednesday, and that’s to celebrate a beacon of hope for conservation.”
He added: “Everybody has the opportunity every Wednesday at dusk to be able to come and see this landmark being lit up.”
The White Lion was first carved into the chalk hillside in 1933 and has since become one of Bedfordshire’s most recognisable sights.
Stretching 147 metres from nose to tail, the carving covers around 6,500 square metres and has overlooked Whipsnade and the surrounding countryside for generations.
Owen explained: “We have a huge group of committed volunteers that help restore this.”
And he added that the zoo had been “inundated with applications” from people wanting to help after a call for volunteers to help maintain the White Lion.
He said: “We’ve been working with this for years, week in, week out – that’s de-weeding, cleaning, then putting chalk on there. It’s taken us a few years to get to this point, but I’m so proud of this team.”
The weekly illuminations are intended to shine a light on conservation and the work carried out by ZSL.
Owen said: “It’s for people to come and see this landmark lit up and realise conservation does work.
“To demonstrate ZSL as an international conservation and showcases the positive impact we can have on conservation worldwide.”
The lights have been carefully selected and positioned with wildlife in mind, with the zoo considering the colours, wavelengths, angles and brightness used to illuminate the lion.
The White Lion has only previously been lit up twice in its history: for Whipsnade’s 21st anniversary in 1952 and its 50th anniversary in 1981.
This year’s illuminations form part of ZSL’s bicentenary celebrations and will continue every Wednesday at dusk until the end of 2026.
Look out for the lion in lights on:
- September 30
- October 7
- October 14
- October 21
- October 28
- November 4
- November 11
- November 18
- November 25
- December 2
- December 9
- December 16
- December 23
- December 30