Whipsnade Zoo's white lion gets its chalk skin stomped. More than 60 people gathered on Whipsnade Zoo's iconic 147m-long white lion to complete the final step of the famous landmark's revamp - stamping down freshly laid chalk. Over 1100 tonnes of chalk were spread across the famous hillside figure's 6525 square metre surface area by a devoted group of 40 volunteers over the last five months. Due to the rare, native flora and fauna that surround the chalk beast, the conservation zoo couldn't use pesticides or machinery to compact its powdery surface, meaning they needed a whole lot of manpower to seal in the new layer. Three groups of 20 volunteers each tackled the head, body and tail respectively. A wet morning meant the chalk was suitably soft, creating the perfect conditions for a stamp in the afternoon sunshine. Construction of the white lion began in 1931, and it took two years to excavate.