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Whipsnade Zoo's Big Help Out volunteers weed giant lion for Coronation

Jon Ironmonger/BBC Volunteers weed the white lion at Whipsnade ZooJon Ironmonger/BBC
A group of volunteers have been weeding the giant white lion on Dunstable Downs, near Whipsnade Zoo

A group of volunteers have been weeding a landmark lion figure on a hillside as part of the Coronation weekend's The Big Help Out initiative.

The giant 147m-long (483ft) lion, near Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, was created in 1933 and is the largest hill figure in England.

The zoo said it was "not in a great state", despite being restored in 2018.

It is hoped that Monday's volunteer taster event will lead to more maintenance events in the future.

Alamy Whipsnade white lionAlamy
The giant lion has been in place, near Whipsnade Zoo, since 1933

Restoration work on the famous figure, which overlooks the Dunstable Downs, started in 2017 and was completed the following year using 800 tonnes of unwanted chalk from beneath a local resident's house.

Volunteer manager Rhiannon Green said it was "routinely maintained but it needs a lot of maintenance".

"The Big Help Out is a chance for us to launch a new initiative for the community to take ownership - and if it goes well, we will do more regular events in the future," she said.

Jon Ironmonger/BBC Volunteers weed the white lion at Whipsnade ZooJon Ironmonger/BBC
The group had to remove the weeds and then then scrape the chalk back over

About 20 people undertook the first session and had about an hour on each section of the figure.

"It is a chalk lion but weeds poke through, so they will be weeding and then scraping the chalk back over," Ms Green said before the event.

"By doing this, the volunteers will really be able to see a difference, in terms of clarity of the shape of the lion.

"We are keen to make sure it has regular maintenance, so we will hopefully extend the project."

Jon Ironmonger/BBC Michael CardJon Ironmonger/BBC
Landscape gardener, Michael Card, said he "thought it would make good use of his skills"

One of the volunteers, Michael Card, a landscape gardener in Dunstable, said: "We see the lion from everywhere we go... this is the symbol of Dunstable.

"[I thought it would] make good use of my skills to come here and clean it up."

He added that the weeds were "a challenge" but "we're up for it".

Jon Ironmonger/BBC Volunteers weed the white lion at Whipsnade ZooJon Ironmonger/BBC
About 20 volunteers spent an hour on the lion including Liz Thomas, from Linslade, who said "working outside is just what you want to do"

Liz Thomas, from Linslade, said she used to drive past the lion every day and you "notice how it's getting more grey" so jumped at the chance to help out.

She said "working outside is just what you want to do, it's really good and it's such a beautiful area".

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ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Whipsnade white lionZSL Whipsnade Zoo
Eight hundred tonnes of chalk were used to resurface the lion in 2018

The Whipsnade White Lion

  • Designed by RB Brook-Greaves
  • Work began in November 1931 and it was finished in spring 1933
  • By April 1932, a rough outline was visible and Ivinghoe Beacon was used as a vantage point to check its accuracy
  • Almost two acres (0.8 hectares) of land had to be cleared to reveal the chalk
  • During World War Two, the lion was covered to prevent it from helping German pilots navigate
  • In May 1981, as part of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo's 50th anniversary celebrations, it was illuminated with 750 lightbulbs
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The Big Help Out is organised by The Together Coalition to highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities across the nation.

Maintenance of the lion is one of several volunteer taster events at the zoo, which include making silage and helping with maintenance in the elephant enclosure.

Ms Green said it currently had about 200 volunteers in a "whole host of roles" that offered "fun, positive relationships and enjoyment".

"Whipsnade is a wonderful place to work and volunteer, it's very much like a family," she said.

Entrance to Whipsnade Zoo
Whipsnade Zoo said it had a "whole host of roles" that offered "fun, positive relationships and enjoyment"
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