Paignton Zoo

Trust celebrates Yaki Day

The charity that runs Paignton Zoo is marking the special day of a special species.

The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, the charity that runs Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts and Newquay Zoo, is celebrating International Macaque Day on Friday 16th March.

Sulawesi crested black macaques (Macaca nigra) can be seen at both Paignton Zoo and Newquay Zoo. The charity supports a...

Zoos offer moments for seniors

March is over-60s month at two top Devon zoos. The charity attractions are holding special days for older people.

At Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo, the day of the week to make a note of is Wednesday. At Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, the special day is Thursday. Paignton Zoo and Living Coasts are both part of the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, the charity which also runs...

Blue is (still) the colour…

Paignton Zoo keepers have bred a species of blue frog for the first time. And it’s a success that the charity’s founder would have approved of whole-heartedly.

The blue poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius azureus) is usually found in the forests of southern Suriname and northern Brazil, but can now be seen in Paignton Zoo’s Reptile Nursery.

The man who founded Paignton Zoo...

UK’s leading zoos visit Dartmoor Zoo to develop new gold-standard guidance for health and safety

Dartmoor Zoo, the family attraction on the fringes of Dartmoor National Park – renowned for its international conservation and education programmes – has played host to representatives from the UK’s leading zoos at a special Working Group to develop new ‘gold-standard’ health and safety guidance for zoos and wildlife parks across the UK.

Under the auspices of the British and Irish...

Very Happy Feet!

Jane Walker’s obsession has taken her tens of thousands of miles around the world. It’s shaped her adult life, brought her to Devon and to her job at Torquay’s Living Coasts. Her passion is penguins.

Why penguins? “They’re amazing animals, they live in extremes of hot and cold. You can't look at a penguin without smiling - what's not to love? I was given my first cuddly...

Things to see, things to make, things to eat…

There’s a lot going on at Living Coasts this summer. Torquay’s coastal zoo is small but full of stuff to see, do and enjoy. And some of the enjoyment involves eating cake…

In addition to the usual timetable of feeding time talks about penguins, seals, otters and other species, there will be extra activities on most days through the summer. The theme for the season is Dive and Flight,...

Giant smelly flower at Paignton Zoo

One of the largest - and smelliest - blooms on the planet is opening at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park.

The flower of the Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum) can be up to 3 metres high and 3 metres in circumference. And the smell? Curator of Plants and Gardens Giles Palmer said: “Imagine you have the smell of rotting meat in a tin can and you open that can on the hottest, most humid...

Precious moment in a troubled land

While Zimbabwe collapses economically and socially, dedicated conservationists continue their battle to save the country’s wildlife. This tiny antelope – an orphaned Sharpe’s grysbok – is being cared for at Dambari field station, near Bulawayo, after it was found orphaned near Hwange National Park.

You might expect the Director of the Dambari Wildlife Trust, vet Verity Bowman, to have...

Devon charity builds international presence

A leading South West conservation charity has created two new posts as it expands its crucial overseas work. The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, based at Paignton Zoo, has announced new staff for its projects in Vietnam and Nigeria.

Emmanuel Olabode has been appointed as Education & Research Coordinator at the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, while Heidi Quine takes up the...

Trust’s zoos weather indifferent year

One of the South West’s largest conservation charities has announced its results for the year. The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust is the charity that runs Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, as well as several nature reserves in Devon.

And while Paignton Zoo visitor numbers were down, Newquay Zoo and Living Coasts both saw increases.

In the...

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