zoo

Zoo keepers have been digging in at Living Coasts in Torquay to make sure everything is just right for the birds. They had to shift tonnes of sand and soil in the coastal zoo’s estuary area and clear vegetation in an annual pre-Spring Clean.

The zoo’s estuary exhibit is home to pied avocet, oystercatcher, redshank, ruff and black-necked stilt – though you might be forgiven for thinking...

Family attraction, Dartmoor Zoo, invites children of all ages to get closer to marvellous mucus this half term with a themed programme of fun and educational activities focusing on slime in nature. Slime Week will run 10am - 4pm daily between 12 - 18 February and all activities are FREE with Zoo admission.

Interactive Snail Trail Grab a smartphone to take part in a free augmented...

Dartmoor Zoo, renowned for its international conservation and education programmes, has welcomed 167 young women and schoolgirls to an evening of inspiring talks, expert advice, and close-up encounters with some of the zoo’s smaller amphibian and invertebrate residents.

Arranged by Women in STEM Plymouth (WISP), and sponsored by Babcock International, the event, which was designed to...

A happy youngster in Torquay plays in the water with her new toy… This is Gemini, the two-year-old fur seal pup at Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo.

Her new toy was custom made by dry suit manufacturers O'Three Ltd. of Portland, in Dorset. Kiesha Summers, from O'Three, explained: “We supplied Living Coasts with dry suits. When we came to visit, both the penguins and...

A lynx that escaped from Dartmoor Zoo in Devon has been captured - after more than three weeks on the run.

The Carpathian lynx, the size of a large domestic cat, was found after walking into a humane trap and is now back at the zoo.

Zoo owner Ben Mee told BBC Radio Devon it was "a huge relief" to have got the animal back.

He said that they had been "living in the hope"...

Shaldon Wildlife Trust in Devon is delighted to announce the birth of a very rare Owston’s civet.

One of the most endangered species of civet, the Owston’s is a curious creature native to Asia. With its long nose, cat-like whiskers and slender mongoose body, it would be well suited to the pages of a Roald Dahl storybook!

This is an exceptionally special birth as the population...

Torbay Council’s sustainable travel team, Travel Torbay, are launching a new initiative with local businesses to encourage their staff to leave the car at home and cycle to work instead.

This new initiative, which is called Bikes for Business, is offering local companies the opportunity to obtain free reconditioned bikes that can be passed onto staff to increase sustainable travel to...

Just look at her now! One year ago she was a tiny, helpless seal pup being bottle fed every few hours - she even had to be taught how to swim.

Now, Living Coasts’ South American fur seal pup Gemini moves effortlessly in her sunlit pool. Although she is not fully-grown, she’s a healthy 20 kilos, is fully independent and can stand up for herself among the other seals.

...

Newly-hatched African penguin chicks at Living Coasts are being named after stars and constellations.

Staff at Torquay’s coastal zoo and aquarium are using the pattern of spots on the belly of a young penguin – unique to each bird – to help find names.

Keeper Chris Dunn: “The idea is to take photos of the young birds’ spot patterns and compare them to star constellations. It’s...

A local conservation charity is calling on people to combat climate change – and save money in the process. Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo, is raising awareness and stimulating action on climate change as part of the international Pole to Pole campaign. By saving energy and CO2 emissions, people could save pounds on their electricity bills.

Living Coasts spokesperson Phil...