Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is one of Britain's top zoos. The 80 acres of naturalistic landscaped grounds are home to some of the planet's rarest and most amazing animals. Discover all your favourites, like gorillas and orang utans, black rhinos and giraffes, lions and tigers. And be ready for a few surprises along the way, too. At Paignton Zoo the plants are as important as the animals. These were the first combined zoological and botanical…
What's happening at Paignton Zoo
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Spotted on Site
1st Jan, 2024
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Miracle pregnancy at Paignton Zoo
26th Feb 2025
Staff at Paignton Zoo are carefully monitoring an extraordinary pregnancy that brings both hope and challenges for one of the world's rarest primates.…
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Visitors flock to Paignton Zoo as hidden wildlife walk reopens
19th Feb 2025
Paignton Zoo's beloved woodland walk is enjoying an unexpected renaissance. The Nature Trail, which reopened last week following recent storm damage,…
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Blog: How public support brought Paignton Zoo's Crocodile Swamp back from the brink
29th Jan 2025
Farah Adaci, from Wild Planet Trust, explains how crocodile swamp is now enthralling visitors at Paignton Zoo after lying dormant… When Crocodile…
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One of Britain’s rarest rodents gets a helping hand from Paignton Zoo
20th Jun 2024
Paignton Zoo is part of a nationwide programme helping to reintroduce rare hazel dormice into the countryside. Once common across England and Wales, hazel…
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The BIAZA Annual Awards 2024 - The Full List of Winners
17th Jun 2024
Each year, we recognise the achievements of BIAZA member zoos and aquariums across a wide range of categories in the BIAZA Annual Awards. Compiled below…
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Clean bill of health for tiny hazel dormice
4th Jun 2024
10 tiny rare hazel dormice have been given the all-clear by wildlife vets at conservation charity ZSL, ahead of their release into the wild next month. …
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‘Extinct’ dove takes flight at Paignton Zoo
25th Apr 2024
The Socorro dove is extinct in the wild. However, Paignton Zoo in Devon is not only home to these rare birds, but keepers are proud to announce that a…
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English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark welcomes Wild Plant Trust as new Geopark Core Partner
15th Jan 2024
The English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark is delighted to announce the addition of Wild Plant Trust as a Geopark Core Partner, further enriching the diverse…
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She-wolf arrives at Paignton Zoo
5th Dec 2023
Paignton Zoo has just welcomed a new female maned wolf called Lua. Lua is currently in quarantine – though already on show to the public –…
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Zoos and aquariums applauded for saving species from extinction by the IUCN
12th Oct 2023
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has acclaimed the conservation work of a zoos and aquariums in an unprecedented statement of…
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Extremely rare butterfly spotted on Paignton Zoo’s nature trail
2nd Aug 2023
Paignton Zoo's Clennon Gorge nature reserve has recently witnessed a remarkable event: the appearance of a white admiral butterfly, a species that…
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Paignton Zoo building new baboon home based on 30 years of research
28th Jul 2023
Work on Paignton Zoo’s brand new baboon exhibit has commenced: the zoo’s biggest build project in 15 years. The new exhibit will incorporate…
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Paignton Zoo turns 100 years old
1st Jul 2023
Paignton Zoo is turning 100 years old this weekend, and is set to celebrate its birthday in style by throwing a Big Birthday ZOOnanza on Saturday 1st…
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Blog: 100 years of Paignton Zoo
30th Jun 2023
Dennis Flynn, CEO of Wild Planet Trust reflects on the centenary of Paignton Zoo and what the future might hold… On July 1st 2023, Paignton Zoo…
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Paignton Zoo’s longest-living residents celebrate centenary
25th Apr 2023
Paignton Zoo’s longest-living residents, their Aldabran giant tortoises, have been celebrating the zoo’s 100th anniversary with some extra…
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Wild Planet Trust helps endangered species thrive in Devon
3rd Mar 2023
Wild Planet Trust has been helping to boost numbers of the endangered white-clawed crayfish by releasing captive bred animals into ‘ark sites’…
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Saving marine life in Tor Bay
10th Feb 2023
Wild Planet Trust has hosted the first of what is set to be a series of events designed to bring together marine organisations, volunteers and charities…
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New high-tech laser therapy for Paignton Zoo’s animals
22nd Dec 2022
A new therapeutic laser that Paignton Zoo have recently purchased is showing promising results for treating animals with a wide variety of medical conditions.…
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Schools go free in 2023 at Newquay and Paignton Zoo
22nd Nov 2022
Newquay Zoo has announced that school groups can visit for free throughout 2023 as part of a momentous campaign to mark the 100-year anniversary of their…
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Critically Endangered orang-utan born at Paignton Zoo
17th Nov 2022
In late October, Paignton Zoo revealed the exciting news that they had welcomed a male baby orang-utan. Mother and baby have been off-show to visitors…
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Endangered Diana monkey baby surprises keepers at Paignton Zoo
10th Aug 2022
Keepers at Paignton Zoo were welcomed with a surprise when they started work this morning, Tuesday 9 August, as they were greeted by a newborn baby Diana…
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Tor Bay’s seagrass mooring buoys receive Royal attention
20th Jul 2022
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visited Torquay’s historic Torre Abbey on Wednesday 20 July and learnt about Tor…
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BIAZA Annual Photo Competition 2022 Winners feature some of the weirdest & lesser known zoo and aquarium animals
14th Jul 2022
Giraffes, Lions and tigers– we’ve all seen breath-taking photos and footage of these much loved and known animals, but how about the likes…
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Hundreds of ‘lost’ species identified in new research
8th Jul 2022
Bramble Cay melomys, golden toads, Tasmanian tigers, Caribbean monk seals and, of course, the dodo. These are all species that we know to be extinct –…
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Paignton Zoo take part in reintroduction of rare hazel dormice
27th Jun 2022
With big eyes, golden fur and a fluffy tail, the distinctive hazel dormouse is a small mammal native to the British Isles that’s vulnerable to extinction.…
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Blog: IWD - Dr Holly Farmer, Research Manager
3rd Mar 2022
To celebrate the run up to International Women's Day on 8th March, BIAZA are sharing the stories and voices of women from across the BIAZA membership.…
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Paignton Zoo takes part in Queen’s Green Canopy
10th Feb 2022
The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee later this year. The initiative…
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Endangered white-clawed crayfish released in Devon
18th Oct 2021
A dozen large, breeding-age white-clawed crayfish have just been released into a privately owned ‘ark’ site in the Blackdown Hills
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New mooring buoys to save seagrass beds
15th Oct 2021
Three brand new boat moorings designed to protect Tor Bay’s seagrass meadows have been installed at Fishcombe Cove. These are the first of their…
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Statement in support of Sustainable Palm Oil
1st Oct 2021
The conservation organisations listed below are committed to driving the palm oil industry in the right direction, and support a move to sustainable palm…
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Paignton Zoo breeds beautiful endangered lizard
6th Feb 2020
Paignton Zoo in Devon has hatched three very special – and very beautiful - youngsters.
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Harvesting as a tool for avian translocation
3rd Oct 2017
Paignton Zoo aimed to develop a method of harvesting and hand-rearing wild cirl bunting nestlings and use this method to establish a self-sustaining population in Cornwall.
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Caught on camera
13th Sep 2017
Camera-traps are remotely operated digital cameras triggered by motion and temperature. The commercial availability of affordable camera-traps since the…
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Facing up to the fungus
13th Sep 2017
Emerging infectious diseases are now recognized as one of the primary threats to human and ecosystem health. Several of the diseases most damaging to…
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What would you feed a gorilla?
13th Sep 2017
Primates (monkeys, apes, lemurs etc) are traditionally regarded as relatively easy to feed in zoos but there is growing recognition that inappropriate diets contribute to several health problems.
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By the book
13th Sep 2017
Many of the species housed in zoos and aquariums, particularly those with in situ conservation partners and declining wild populations, are managed on a regional or international scale through breeding programmes.
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Investigating lumpy jaw in macropods
20th Jan 2017
Lumpy jaw is a leading cause of death in zoo-housed kangaroos and wallabies worldwide. The aim of this research is to determine the housing and husbandry requirements that will prevent and/or reduce outbreaks of lumpy jaw in zoos.
