It’s been a while 🐊 but we’re nearly ready to re-open Crocodile Swamp! 🤘
To celebrate, we are hosting a prize draw where you can win the chance to feed one of our crocs! 🤩
You will also get to go behind the scenes and be one of the first to meet the newest Swamp resident, Pierre. 🇫🇷🥖
Here’s Ranger Jamie to introduce him to you! 🦎
👉 For more details about the prize draw and the re-opening of Croc Swamp, visit our website 🔗
Due to the high winds, Santa’s reindeer were not able to fly in this weekend.
However, it just makes us even more excited for next weekend when he will definitely be back for more festive fun!
Here’s a recap of the magical time we had last weekend, when Santa himself came for his first visit. He was delighted with his grotto, expertly crafted by @fairloveyurts 🎅 It was the perfect place to host families in a warm and dry cosy space, with each child receiving a gift from the big man himself!🎁*
Our favourite storyteller Mrs Claus gathered families together in the Ark to tell a very special Christmas tale of Paignton Zoo🤶 She also did arts and crafts with the children in the Sunbird Room, making beautiful baubles, badges, enrichment for the animals and reindeer food ready for Christmas Eve!🦌
We had live music from our very own Graham Card, who serenaded the restaurant with Michael Bublé tunes and an exclusive first listen to his own Christmas song, which has been released as a charity single to raise money for to zoo. Check out Wild Planet Trust’s YouTube to see our staff music video🎤🎶
On Sunday the Rock Choir blew us away with stunning harmonies and a collection of our favourite Christmas songs. They lifted everyone’s spirits in the rain and got us in the festive mood!🎄🎶
And a huge shout out goes to @marldon_christmas_tree_farm for providing us with the best ever Christmas trees! 🌲
What a fantastic start to December we’ve had, the festivities continue this weekend, so don’t forget to book your tickets now! 🔗
🐊 Don't miss out on your chance to feed a crocodile! 🐊
Donate as little as £5 to enter our prize draw and go behind the scenes with Lima and Spice! 🌿✨
🎉 Win an exclusive crocodile feeding experience and the opportunity to re-open our Crocodile Swamp exhibit! 🐊🏞️ Plus, take home a giant cuddly crocodile toy, courtesy of Nature Planet. 🧸💚
And that's not all! There are also loads of runner-up goodies up for grabs! 🎁
🌐 Visit our website to enter now! 🔗
There's nothing more special than hearing our lar gibbons serenading the whole zoo🎶 Usually more vocal in the mornings, lar gibbons sing to defend their territory and bond as a pair!
Last week, the Wild Planet Trust 'Save Our Seagrass' team went down to Fishcombe Cove where we have our seagrass friendly eco-moorings and educational signage. They took the chance to remove any litter from the cove, and were kept warm and dry thanks to the kit provided by our generous supporters Regatta and the Devon Environment Foundation 🌊🌱
The Large Mammal House is re-open to the public!🦒
Last Saturday, the inside walkway was re-opened by one of our longest-standing staff members, Bryan Raynes, who has dedicated many years to working with both the giraffes and elephants. The Large Mammal House has undergone a number of renovations over the last few weeks, including the replacement of the bridge and walkway, allowing visitors to once again see the giraffes at eye level!😍
Seeing our visitors' reactions to viewing the giraffes from the walkway again, showed us just how important listening to our community is, and of course, how loved these wonderful animals are by so many🦒❤️
A big shout out and thank you to those who helped us at each stage of the renovation:
Dyson Construction SW - big thanks to Sam and Harry for working through the rain to get the walkways done
Fenster Architectural Glazing - for their brilliant job on the windows
GCC Facilities Management - did a wonderful job cleaning the cobwebs and dust from the high ceilings
PKF-Francis Clark - for volunteering their time to help with cleaning and painting
Our own maintenance, cleaning, keepers, and graphics teams worked incredibly hard and the end result is something to be so proud of!
Join us on a spooky Halloween adventure, exploring the hidden caves beneath the zoo!💀 By using this thermal monocular camera from South West Optics we can look for creepy creatures hiding in the shadows👻 Keep watching to see what we found...
It’s party time!🎉🎉 Our littlest Bornean orangutan, Ranbi, turned two this week! So of course, we had to have a birthday party.Dad, Wousan, had to survey all the presents first of course😝 Ranbi loved opening all the presents, eating the ice cake and, of course, climbing to the very top to show how big and strong he’s getting! Thank you to all the staff and volunteers who made such an effort in the decorations and ensured Ranbi had the best possible birthday🎂🎈
Happy World Lemur Day!🎉
Our keepers threw the ring-tailed lemurs a special Halloween party to celebrate these incredible, highly endangered species🎃 Keeper Rob tells us all about the meaning behind the pumpkin carvings, and the threats that lemurs are facing🌍
#WorldLemurDay
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported our Bring Back the Swamp campaign so far. We have had huge success already and we’re delighted to say that we're now over 67% of the way to hitting our £15,000 target!🥳🐊🌴
To celebrate, Kay and Matt are giving you a sneak peek into Croc Swamp with some behind the scenes crocodile feeds, plus some exclusive info! More updates will be coming over the next phase of our campaign, as refurbishment and garden work begins.
If you would like to donate to our #BringBackTheSwamp campaign, please follow this link👉 https://www.paigntonzoo.org.uk/bring-back-the-swamp/
Your donation will make a real difference.
Any contributions, no matter the size, will be hugely appreciated. Help us create unforgettable memories for future generations by donating today. Thank you💚
Hang out with our mob of meerkats! They are such a sweet bunch🥰
A big Happy Birthday to Otillie! 🎉🦒 One of our beautiful Rothschild giraffes, Otillie celebrated her 12th birthday on the 4th of September 🥳She holds a special place in the hearts of the Paignton Zoo family, known for her unique character and curiosity. We had so much fun celebrating her on her special day, especially her dedicated keeper, Sian, who crafted an incredible cake just for her! 🎂
