Paignton Zoological Centre

Day out to the zoo, lots of different animals and plants to see, some quite endangered species here even to the point of being extinct in the wild !!!!

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, is a zoo in Paignton, Devon, England. The zoo is part of South West Environmental Parks Ltd which is owned by the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT). It is a combined zoo and botanic garden that welcomes over half a million visitors a year. WWCT also runs Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall. All three are registered charities.

Paignton Zoo has a collection of approximately 2,000 animals representing nearly 300 species. It also cultivates approximately 1,600 different species of plant. It currently employs over 100 permanent staff and an additional 120 seasonally. A registered educational and scientific charity, Paignton Zoo is committed to the highest standards of animal husbandry and welfare, to scientific research, education and the breeding and conservation of rare and endangered animal and plant species.

Animals

Paignton Zoo's collection of animals are categorized by the habitat they live in, and those habitats are represented by themed buildings and areas across the zoo.

Desert House

The Desert House is a walk-through glasshouse containing authentic desert plants such as cacti of various species. The animals kept in the Desert House include red-billed quelea, gila monsters, superb starlings, pancake tortoises, Guinea pigs and free-flying Princess of Wales parakeets, as well as a real termite mound.

Tropical Forest House

The Tropical Forest House displays reptiles and amphibians from tropical rain-forests. These include Burmese pythons, Cuban crocodiles, boa constrictors, matamata turtles, dwarf caimans, green anacondas, tokay geckos and several species of poison dart frog.

Forest Animals

This area is wooded with naturally occurring plants and trees. Animals on display include Asian lions, Sumatran tigers, red ruffed lemurs, ring-tailed lemurs, Bornean orangutans, great grey owls, wreathed hornbills, golden pheasants, western lowland gorillas, white-faced saki monkeys, Socorro doves, southern cassowary, bongo and lar gibbons.

Wetland Birds

Several species of waterfowl live around the moats surrounding the zoo's monkey islands, including dalmatian pelicans, Marabou storks and several different species of ducks and geese such as Mandarin ducks, common shelducks and barnacle geese. Other waterfowl in the zoo's collection include Chilean flamingos, scarlet ibis and little egrets.

Savannah Animals

This area mostly displays animals from the African savannah, but also features some animals from other continents that live in a similar dry grassland habitat. The African animals include ostriches, Hartmann's mountain zebras, cheetahs, red river hogs, Rothschild's giraffes, African elephants, Barbary sheep and black rhinoceros. Animals from other continents include maned wolves, Bactrian camels, mishmi takin and collared peccaries.