Zoo Updates

Paignton Zoo will re-open to all guests on Thursday 3rd December 2020.

We cannot wait to safely open our doors once again and welcome you back!

we're closed for now and will re-open on 3rd december

Paignton Zoo is temporarily closed and will re-open to all guests from Thursday 3rd December 2020.
As Torbay will fall into Tier 2, we are able to open the majority of the zoo with Covid-19 social distancing and safety measures in place.

Full information about staying safe at the zoo can be found here.

Ticketing and entry

We will be limiting the number of guests each 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).

In line with Government guidelines for Tier 2, we will be unable to permit any groups of guests with more than six people into the zoo, unless your single household family 'bubble' has more than six people in it.

Tickets and time slots to book for 3rd December 2020 to 3rd January 2021 are live here.

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, as we cannot process these bookings online.

opening times

For the rest of 2020, the zoo is open from 10am to 4:30pm.
Please note that on Christmas Eve, we will close early at 2pm. We are closed on Christmas Day.

which exhibits will be 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	YES	YES	NO	YES
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
Desert House	NO*	N/A	N/A	N/A
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	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 the Desert House will be closed due to the current regulations in place for England with Avian Influenza.

**Reptile Tropics is closed as the exhibit suffered severe storm damage earlier this year. Extensive repair work is taking place and we hope that this area will be safely ready to re-open in 2021.

The Jungle Express train will be running, with social distancing and safety measures in place (small charge applies).
Please be aware that the running of the train is weather dependent.

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. We cannot guarantee that you will see every single animal of the day of your visit.

annual pass extensions

All Annual Passes will have been extended for the length of time the zoo has been closed.

Passes will extend automatically from the date that we are able to safely re-open; you do not need to do anything.

how you can support us

Even thought we can re-open soon, we really, really need your support at this extremely difficult time. The second lockdown of 2020 has resulted in more loss of income for us as a charity. There are many ways in which you can support us:

Make a donation online to our Support Fund here
This is super easy to do and the money will go directly towards the care of our animals while we're closed.
Donate to us via text - to donate £10, simply text PZOO to 70085
Texts will cost £10 plus one standard network message rate and come straight to us.
Purchase an animal adoption
This is a lovely gift for any animal lover and a great way of showing your support.
Become an Annual Pass holder
Your new Pass will start for 12 months on the date that we're safely able to re-open.
Treat an animal to an item off our Amazon Wishlist
Browse through the items and add something to your basket before checking out, just like with normal orders!

We hope that we have answered your query above, but if not please email us at [email protected] and we will aim to get back to you as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your patience and support during this time. We will continue to keep you up to date with everything zoo-related, so please make sure you follow us on social media too.

We thank you so much for your loyal support and look forward to seeing you very soon!