Updates

Paignton Zoo is open to all guests. We’ve worked hard to ensure that Paignton Zoo is a safe place to visit and have put the below safety measures in place for your safety.

Please don’t visit us if you, or a member of your household, are showing symptoms of coronavirus.

Due to the latest Government guidelines, we are currently unable to permit any groups of guests with more than six people into the zoo. Please do not book tickets for a group larger than six people.

ticketing and entry

We are limiting the number of guests per day, including Annual Pass holders and anyone who has a complimentary ticket. Entry will be permitted in half-hour slots through the day (this refers to your arrival time, not the length of your visit).

Due to the latest Government guidelines, we are currently unable to permit any groups of guests with more than six people into the zoo.
Please do not book tickets for a group larger than six people, unless your single household family 'bubble' has more than six people in it.

If you are buying new tickets or are an Annual Pass holder, please pre-book your tickets/time slot online here. You can currently book to visit us up to the end of October 2020. All Under 3s and Carers must also be booked a space on a time slot.

WE CANNOT TRANSFER ANY TICKET OR TIME SLOT BOOKINGS.

If you have a complimentary ticket, existing pre-paid ticket, Welcome Return or a Zooper ticket, please call 01803 697500 to book your time slot.

PLEASE NOTE: OUR PHONELINES ARE ONLY OPEN FROM 9AM to 5PM, MONDAY TO FRIDAY, AND ARE EXTREMELY BUSY AT THIS TIME SO PLEASE BE PATIENT.
If you have an urgent enquiry, please contact us via private messages on our Facebook page, which is monitored on weekdays.

We can permit reciprocal visits from guests who are members with other select UK zoos. These members will be able to book a time slot on available dates to visit from 1pm onwards, and will need to call our Reception on 01803 697500 to book this in. We are unfortunately unable to take these bookings on our online system.

opening times

From 7th September to 25th October 2020, the zoo is open from 10am to 5pm.

From 26th October for the rest of the year, the zoo will close at 4:30pm.

which exhibits are open/closed and animal off-shows

Please see the table below to find out which of our specific exhibits are open and which remain closed for your safety.

Exhibit	is it open?	is there a one-way system in operation?	Are the entry/exit doors open?	Are face coverings required for the exhibit?
Animal Encounters Brick Safari Display	YES	YES	YES	YES
Amphibian Ark	YES	YES	YES	YES
Ape Centre	NO	N/A	N/A	N/A
Bongo House	YES	YES	YES	YES
Brookside Aviary	YES	NO	NO	NO
Bugs at Home	YES	YES	YES	YES
Crocodile Swamp	YES	YES	NO	YES
Giant Tortoise House	NO	N/A	N/A	N/A
Giraffe House	YES	YES	YES	YES
Lemur Woods	YES*	NO	YES	NO
Monkey Heights	YES	NO	N/A	YES
Nature Trail	YES	NO	N/A	NO
Nocturnal House	NO	N/A	N/A	N/A
Reptile Tropics/Desert House	NO	N/A	N/A	N/A
Rhino House	YES	YES	YES	YES
The Ranch	YES	NO	NO	YES
Reptile Nursery	NO	N/A	N/A	N/A

*Please note that Lemur Woods exhibit will be open, but the lemurs will NOT be free-roaming.
We also do not house any elephants at the zoo. Our maned wolves are also currently off-show due to important exhibit redevelopment work.
All animals that are currently at the zoo can be seen on our Animal A-Z Guide.

There may be times when some of our animals may not be viewable at the exact time that you visit an exhibit, as we not do not 'force' them to be 'on-show'. If an animal is not immediately visible, they could be resting in their off-show area or somewhere out of view in their naturalistic exhibit, so please make time to pop back later in the day - it will be worth the wait! For example, our big cats are usually more active and easier to spot in the afternoons.

face coverings

Guests will be required to wear a face covering if they wish to enter our gift shop area and purchase takeaway food in our indoor Island Restaurant. Guests are also required to also wear a face covering in all of our indoor animal exhibits, the zoo entrance building and toilet facilities.

There will be reusable face masks for sale in our gift shop and catering outlet cabins.

Face coverings are not required for all other outdoor areas of the zoo, however guests are more than welcome to wear one at all times if they wish.

You do not need to wear a face covering in our gift shop if you have a legitimate reason not to. This includes:

Young children under the age of 11
Not being able to put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness/impairment or disability
If putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress
If you are travelling with or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading to communicate
To avoid harm or injury, or the risk of harm or injury, to yourself or others.

We thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this.

safety measures

The following measures have been put in place to ensure your safety:

Protective screening at contact points. This includes the Information Desk, admission desks, food outlets and shop
Card payments are preferred
Floor markings around the site including in the Main Entrance building, Island Restaurant and shop
Hand sanitiser points around the zoo
Regular cleaning will be carried out around the zoo
Signage around the zoo to remind guests and staff of social distancing and handwashing guidelines
Suggested one-way routes and lane markings around the site
Outdoor play areas are open with social distancing signage and extra cleaning measures
Some indoor exhibits remain closed
Our indoor Jungle Fun play area remains closed
No feeding times or keeper talks to prevent gathering of crowds
The Jungle Express Railway remains closed
No face painting
The Island Restaurant will only be offering a takeaway service only. Other food outlets will be open around the zoo. Floor markings will be in place to manage queueing. Please click here for more information.

annual pass extensions

If you had a valid Annual Pass on 23rd March, it will re-start from 6th July. This means that the time that you have left on your Annual Pass will be automatically carried over from 6th July.

We were closed for 105 days. If your Annual Pass did not expire while we are closed, then your Annual Pass will be extended for 105 days.

If your Annual Pass expired over the duration of us being closed, then it will be extended for the amount of days from 23rd March that your Pass was valid until; for example, if your Pass expired on 19th April, you will have the days from 23rd March to 19th April added on to your Pass from the date that we re-open on 6th July.

drop-off and pick up point

To enable us to maintain social distancing when queuing at the front entrance we have moved the drop-off and pick-up point. It is now by the main gates as you enter the Turn Circle. Should extra assistance be required then please contact a member of staff who will be able to help and advise.

nhs test and trace

In order for the zoo to remain open, we have put the following measures in place until further notice:

We are asking all guests, including Annual Pass holders to pre-book an entry time slot. This allows us to maintain safe distances between customers and to keep track of the number of people in the zoo at any one time.
In order to help reduce the risk of a local outbreak of coronavirus, we are taking contact details for customers, as well as recording the time you visited the zoo.
In line with guidance issued by the Department for Health and Social Care, we will keep your details for 21 days. We will share them with Test and Trace personnel, if asked, in the event of a fellow guest or staff member testing positive for coronavirus.
Data will be handled according to GDPR, security and ethical standards at every stage of the process – from its collection and storage by us to its transfer and use by NHS Test and Trace. NHS Test and Trace will handle all data according to the highest ethical and security standards and it will be used only for NHS care, management, evaluation and research.
If you do not want us to use your data for this purpose, please tell us by emailing [email protected].
For more information about NHS Test and Trace, please visit: www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works

toilets

Our cleaning staff will follow the social distancing guidance in all situations whilst servicing the toilets. Guests are asked to observe social distancing and to use sanitiser prior to entering toilet and to thoroughly wash hands after.
The toilets will be closed to guests every hour for a thorough clean of the touch points and appropriate signage is displayed for guests to explain this closure.
All washroom facilities are well ventilated and the staff will ensure that windows are left open during the day. Where an assessment has highlighted that space is not adequate to maintain social distancing, some facilities within the toilets may be closed off.

first aid

There are First Aiders on site to be there in case anyone needs them. Please be assured that their safety whilst carrying out this vital service has been thoroughly thought through and planned.
They have all received extra training in how to deliver First Aid but maintain social distancing. When and where it is possible to do so, they will provide advice/instruction to the injured person or a member of their household to assist. Where that is not possible they will have the appropriate PPE and will keep the time with the injured person to an absolute minimum.

mobility scooter and wheelchair hire

You can hire a wheelchair at the zoo but can only hire a mobility scooter if you have used one with us at the zoo before, once you have secured an arrival time slot. This is in-line with government safety social distancing regulations and the need for training to be carried out by our staff to guests on the use of the mobility scooter.
Wheelchairs and mobility scooters should be pre-booked by calling 01803 697500 and they are thoroughly cleaned after every use.