Being a zoo member comes with some amazing perks, including a discount on our unique animal experiences!
Our animal experiences allow you to get up close and personal with some of our most popular animals, such as lions, giraffes, rhinos and more.
As part of your experience, you will meet and chat with the keepers – a great opportunity to learn about the animals from the people that know them best.
Depending on the experience, you may also get to help out with feeding time!
To find out if an experience is available for a specific date, please call our experience coordinator on 01803 697500 before completing your online booking.
If you require a carer, please let our experience coordinator know at the time of confirming booking. Please note that many of our exhibits do not have suitable wheelchair or mobility scooter access.
Animal experiences
Get a chance to prep food for Bruce, one of the only echidnas in the UK, and help out with feeding time.
Age limit: 5+
Duration: 20 minutes
Price (Members): £49 (single) or £70 (joint)
Available days: Daily
eGet up close with these gentle giants, feed them their favourite snacks, and give them lots of attention (which they love!)
Age limit: 7+
Duration: 20 minutes
Price (Members): £49 (single) or £70 (joint)
Available days: Daily
Get up close with the giraffes and help out with their feeding time.
Age limit: 7+
Duration: 20 minutes
Price (Members): £69 (single) or £105 (joint)
Available days: Daily
This is a chance to meet Manu, the only Kiwi in the UK. Enjoy an exclusive pre-opening experience, including a guided tour of the zoo and breakfast bap in our restaurant.
Age limit: 8+
Duration: 75 minutes
Price (Members): £205 (single)*
Available days: Tuesdays at 8:30am
*This is a single experience only.
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Feed our amazing pride of lions (Boss, Semira, and Amahle). This is a once in a lifetime experience, as nothing will prepare you for seeing these magnificent animals up close.
Age limit: 16+
Duration: 20 minutes
Price (Members): £105 (single)*
Available days: Sundays and Tuesdays
*This is a single experience only. A spectator only (over 18 years) ticket is available for £60 (£40 for a member) and includes entry into the zoo. This is for photographing the experience only and this person will not participate in the feed.
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Go behind the scenes in our Rhino House, get stuck in and help with feeding these truly wonderful animals.
Age limit: 16+
Duration: 20 minutes
Price (Members): £69 (single) or £105 (joint)
Available days: Daily
Zoo keeper for a day
Learn all about life at Paignton Zoo and discover what it’s like to be a zookeeper with our ‘Keeper for a day’ experience.
Age limit: 15+
Duration: 6 hours 30 minutes
Price (Members): £250 (single) or £335 (joint)
Available days: Daily
You’ll arrive in the morning and get to experience the zoo in a different light before any of our visitors arrive. Throughout the day, together with one of our knowledgeable experience guides, you’ll visit a number of different departments which could include anything from primates to birds. You’ll work alongside our expert keepers and undertake a variety of tasks including cleaning duties, feeding and caring for the animals, whilst learning all about our different animals directly from those that spend the most time with them.
This can be purchased as a single or joint experience and the price includes a breakfast bap, hot drink and a t-shirt.
Junior keeper for a day
Our Junior Keeper Experience is perfect for young animal enthusiasts and budding zookeepers.
Age limit: 7-14 years old
Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes
Price (Members): £180 (single) or £290 (joint)
Available days: Weekends and school holidays
Go behind the scenes and find out all about the animals at Paignton Zoo from those that spend the most time with them, our very own zookeepers! Discover what it’s like to work with the animals at Paignton Zoo, you’ll even get the chance to feed some of the animals that you meet.
Price includes a breakfast bap, drink and a t-shirt. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Terms & conditions
Please take a moment to read our Animal Experience terms and conditions.
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- All experiences must be booked and paid for at least one week in advance.
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- If you cancel or change your experience within a week of it taking place you will be charged a £10 administration fee.
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- All experiences are booked on a first come first served basis. Please do not assume your experience is booked until you have received your experience pack for the date stated, or you have had confirmation by telephone or email.
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- You will be entering working environments; from time to time things may happen beyond our control and we may need to cancel your experience at short notice. If this happens you will be contacted via email or telephone at least 24 hours before your experience is due to take place. We recommend that you check your messages and emails before your visit in case we have contacted you.
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- Minimum age limits apply to all experiences: Echidna Experience – 5 years and older. Giraffe Experience and Giant Tortoise Experience – 7 years or over. Junior Keeper – 7 years or over, Kiwi – 8 years and over. Zoo Keeper for a day – 15 years or over and Rhino Experience – 16 years or over. Lion experience – over 16 years.
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- For any children under the age of 16 or anyone requiring a carer, one adult is allowed entry behind the scenes for supervising purposes only.
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- Full admission price must be paid for any guests including the supervising adult.
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- Behind the scenes can be muddy and messy so please dress appropriately. Suitable clothing includes full length trousers and a lightweight coat in case of rain. For your safety closed toe shoes must be worn.
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- Giraffe experience – the Giraffe yard is suitable for wheelchairs but the house is not accessible
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- Lion experience – this experience is for a maximum of one person only – with only one available slot on bookable days (Tuesdays & Sundays)
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- Paignton Zoo reserves the right to cancel your experience if you arrive more than 10 minutes late without prior agreement and unfortunately your experience can not be rescheduled.
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- For anyone requiring a carer, please provide eligibility in the form of PIP, DLA letter or blue badge. All carers must be over the age of 12 (if accompanying an adult) or 18 (if accompanying a child), and capable of assisting the participant for the duration of the experience and zoo visit.
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- Our members only price is valid for our Joint site members only, and when a member is
participating in the experience. A member can buy as a gift for another member.
- Our members only price is valid for our Joint site members only, and when a member is
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- A valid membership card will need to be produced on the day of the experience. If there is no valid membership, an additional £20 per person will be payable before we can facilitate the experience