Win the chance to name our lion cubs!

Here’s your chance to win an unforgettable experience at Whipsnade Zoo! One lucky winner will get the exclusive opportunity to help name two of our adorable lion cubs – a male and a female from lioness Waka’s litter, born this January.

And that’s not all…

You’ll also meet the cubs’ Zookeeper to find out about caring for lions, ask all your burning questions, and enjoy an overnight stay in one of our magical Lookout Lodges in Whipsnade Zoo.

The prize includes:

• The chance to select names for a male and a female lion cub, from a shortlist prepared by our Keepers.
• A private meet-and-greet with the cubs’ Zookeeper.
• An overnight stay in a Whipsnade Zoo Lookout Lodge, in the beautiful Chiltern Hills of Bedfordshire, north of London.
• After-hours tours of the Zoo.
• Delicious dinner and breakfast.
• Two full days of Zoo entry – absolutely free!

All it takes is a £5 donation to enter.

To make the experience even more memorable, you can bring your loved ones along! There’s space for up to two adults and two children, or one adult and three children to stay in a Lookout lodge and meet a Zookeeper.

Plus, if your group are aged over 12, you’ll also get to go behind-the-scenes at our lion habitat with the Zookeeper!  

Help our Keepers choose the perfect names for these precious cubs – and be part of their story from the very beginning. Donate by 11.55pm on 12 May 2025 for your chance to win!

Support an amazing cause

Every donation made to the prize draw will help support the work of ZSL (we’re the international conservation charity behind Whipsnade Zoo) in the UK in our conservation Zoos and around the globe to protect lions and other threatened wildlife. 

The cubs are important additions to the conservation breeding programme for their threatened sub species. Sadly, three quarters of African lion populations are declining in the wild. At ZSL, we are working in the W-Arli-Pendjari conservation complex, which holds 90% of the lions remaining in West Africa, to support many species, including lions, through research, monitoring, and supporting national capacity for wildlife conservation. 

By donating and taking part in this prize draw, you're helping us do even more to protect lions and other threatened species around the world. Thank you!

The prize

This is a truly unique opportunity to support the lion cubs at Whipsnade Zoo!

• Help select a name for a male and a female lion cub. Our Zookeepers will put together a shortlist of potential names for you to select the perfect names from.
• Stay overnight at Whipsnade Zoo in the beautiful Chiltern Hills in one of our Lookout Lodges for up to two adults and two children, or one adult and three children. You’ll experience the Zoo after closing time at our cosy lookout lodges, including three after-hours tours of the Zoo at sunset, after-dark and in the morning, plus two-course dinner, bed and breakfast, and two days Zoo entry. This must be redeemed by 25 October 2025.
• Meet the lion cubs’ Zookeeper to learn about how they care for lions at Whipsnade Zoo and ask any questions that you have. If your group are aged over 12 years old, then you will also get to go behind-the-scenes at the lion habitat with the Keeper.

Everyone that enters will also get a video of the lion cubs, produced exclusively as a thank you to everyone who has donated. Make sure to opt-in to hear from us by email when you donate so that we can email you your video.

Terms and Conditions 

• Each £5 donation will act as an entry into the prize draw. You can also purchase entry ticket bundles from our reward list.
• Entrants must be at least 18 years old and resident in the United Kingdom.
• The winner will select names for one male and one female cub from a shortlist that our Zookeepers have put together.
• The winner’s Lookout Lodge stay must be redeemed by 25 October 2025.
• The first ten people to donate the £500 ticket bundle will get the choice of either a Keeper For The Day experience for one person at Whipsnade Zoo, or a Meet the Elephants Experience for two people at Whipsnade Zoo. Please note that the Keeper For The Day experience has a minimum age of 16 and the Meet the Elephants experience has a minimum age of 8. Child under the age of 16 taking part in the Meet the Elephants experience must be accompanied by an adult with a valid Meet the Elephants ticket. These experiences must be redeemed by 31 March 2026. Extra experience places can be purchased at the prices shown on our website if you'd like to bring additional guests.
• The winner will be contacted between 13-16 May 2025. 

See terms and conditions tab for more information.

ZSL is a charity registered in England and Wales no: 208728 working globally.