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Ongoing updates and improvements
Hazel dormice conservation: rescuing Britain’s rarest rodent

Hazel dormice conservation: rescuing Britain’s rarest rodent

Paignton Zoo is safeguarding the endangered hazel dormouse and promoting wildlife conservation beyond traditional zoo-based initiatives. Our expert veterinary team has been tirelessly working to reverse the alarming population decline of these tiny creatures, heavily affected by habitat loss and environmental challenges such as climate change and changing woodland management practices

Visiting researcher spotlight: Elina Thomas-Jones

Elina, a visiting researcher at Paignton Zoo, is studying the behavioral differences between hand-reared and parent-reared giraffes, as well as their interactions with each other and their keepers. Learn more about her fascinating research here

Saving the Blues: Zookeeper’s Mission in Grand Cayman

Last month, zookeeper Tom Wilkinson jetted off to Grand Cayman Island to assist with the Blue Iguana Conservation Programme: a National Trust-run project to reintroduce and sustainably conserve the wild population of blue iguanas to help ensure the species’ long-term…

Ken Smith: The Unsung Hero of Paignton Zoo

Disclaimer: This blog discusses the capture of wild animals for display in zoological collections, which is a practice that we do not support today. We recognise this made up much of the work of early zoos, but as a forward-thinking…

World War Zoo: From Chessington to Devon’s Zoo & Circus

As we celebrate Paignton Zoo’s centenary year, we’ve been uncovering some incredible stories from our past. Did you know that Paignton Zoo shares a captivating connection with another British zoo? Familiar Origins Chessington Zoo began in a similar way to…

Everything except the pigeons

As the shadow of World War II fell over Europe, Paignton Zoo’s founder Herbert Whitley made plans to disband his treasured collection of animals to other zoos. His instructions were clear – everything must go; everything EXCEPT the pigeons. As…

Placement student spotlight: Adam Irwin

Place of study: University of Manchester Course: BSc Biological Sciences (Zoology) Placement focus: Community Outreach & Badgers We caught up with placement student Adam, who’s project is two-fold: the first element consists of a local community survey to understand how…