12 curious trolls have arrived at Whipsnade Zoo! They’ll be studying all of the humans that visit over the summer – can you help them with their research?
Here’s who to look out for and where to find them.
Poppy
Meet Poppy. She’s learnt that humans are very interested in ‘looki looki’ at their 'Pocket Stars', or mobile phones as we know them. She now has quite a collection of her own! She thought they’d be delicious, but has realised they’re actually a bit crunchy…
So she’s decided to use them as bait to entice humans over so that she can study them more closely. You’ll spot her outside the Visitor Centre if you want to help her with the research.
Taks
Taks is the youngest of the 12 trolls you’ll find around the Zoo. He was the first to sneak out of the Troll camp in the dark of night to visit the little humans. Having convinced his Mother to let him take his siblings on a field study, he’s now responsible for guiding and taking care of them.
Meet Taks close to our lemurs.
Kirse
Kirse began the field study with her siblings but then went off to explore on her own. Without realising it, she actually did a little study of the humans; she noticed that when she did something fun, like standing on her hands, the little humans would try to mimic it.
Have fun playing in the woods with Kirse next to our chimps – maybe even try building a den!
Boge
You’ll get to meet Boge near to our penguins. He wonders why humans spend time up here at the top of the Downs and what they are looking at. What can you see? Take a look through the binoculars and spot something that makes you smile.
Anja
Anja loves to count the things she sees and has even learned the human words for numbers. Can you help her with her study? You’ll find her next to our white rhinos and bongos. Place a stone in her left bucket for each human you see ‘walky walky’, and a stone in the right bucket for each ‘metal beast’ you see humans driving in.
Wilde
Wilde is studying humans closely and drawing them into a notebook. Can you keep nice and still so he can draw you? Look out for him next to our white rhinos, and check out the nearby activity station to have a go at studying nature up close with some bark or leaf rubbing.
Birch
This is Birch. You’ll spot him measuring things near to our tallest animals, giraffes. Do you think he’ll try and measure them too?
He’s noticed that, just like trolls, humans are not all little or big in the same way. Can you stand next to him so he can include you in his study?
Lilnut and Bignut
These two just want to play with humans all day!
Why not play some tree tag with the trolls and your friends and family? Will they manage to catch you in their nets? They promise not to eat you!
Find Lilnut between our lion and meerkat habitats and Bignut next to our ostriches.
Larke
Larke can be found close to the Base Camp restaurant poking his head into a rubbish bin to see what’s inside. He can’t believe all the amazing treasures that we throw away!
Have a go at turning trash into treasure at the nearby activity station.
Valle
All of this studying is tiring! Valle is sleeping soundly on top of the hill close to our Amur tiger habitat after adventuring out in the night in the search for humans. Can you hear snoring?
Hasse
Hasse is bored of being on the field study and just wants to play around on top of the Base Camp arena hill! Can you pose like Hasse? Try sneaking up on nature from new angles – you never know what you might find.
The twelve trolls will be at Whipsnade Zoo until 22 September, so you’ve got plenty of time to spot them all and help out with their study. Make sure you pick up a Troll Trail map when you arrive at the Zoo.