The spider tortoise is one of the world’s smallest tortoises – and one of the rarest. Now, Paignton Zoo has become the first in the UK to breed the species.
Paignton Zoo has become the first zoo in the country to breed a tiny tortoise on the edge of extinction. The secret? A fine blend of driving passion and cool-headed science.
The spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) is one of the world’s smallest tortoises – and one of the rarest. A burrowing species, it’s found around the south western coast of Madagascar. The adults are only around 6 inches long. Their popular name...
Zoos are all about exotic species – aren’t they? Well, three top local zoos are doing their bit to highlight the importance of native species.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall are aiming to give local wildlife a real boost this year. Native species are the theme for the season at all three zoos, under the banner of Nearby Nature. Events and activities will focus on native species and share ideas on how people can help wildlife at home.
The three zoos are run by the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust. Spokesperson Phil...
Most people visit Paignton Zoo to see rare and unusual animals - species they may never have seen before from exotic habitats around the world. So it comes as a surprise to discover that the star of Paignton Zoo’s new guest encounter is also the world’s most popular pet bird – the budgie.
The Australian budgerigar may seem like an odd choice for a Zoo talk. Group Education Manager Steve Nash explains why sometimes it’s the familiar species that can reveal the biggest surprises:
“The new encounter has been put together to try and encourage guests to see that every species...
Paignton Zoo has just bred a rare and unusual lizard for the very first time.
The Solomon Islands skink is also known as the prehensile-tailed skink, or the monkey-tailed skink… or the giant skink… or the monkey skink… or even the zebra skink Whatever you call it, this is one extraordinary creature.
For a start, it’s the world’s largest skink. A skink is a type of lizard – the word is from the Greek and referred originally to lizards in that part of the world. It’s one of the few reptiles known to live in a social group (called a circulus). It gives birth rather than lays...
Conservationists in Torquay have turned marine waste into thought-provoking art.
A new installation at Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo and aquarium, combines education, plastic waste and inspirational creativity. And for zoo artist Jackie Kidd, the task has turned into an obsession - and a new hobby. Jackie collected rubbish on beaches for 6 weeks to make the work. And she found beauty in the piles of coloured plastic waste: “It has been an interesting and wonderfully colourful project, one which I hope will inspire others to collect, create and recycle for the future of our...
Zoo keepers are dedicated, passionate – even obsessed. They are devoted to the animals with which they work...
For one keeper at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in Devon, each conservation success means so much to her that she gets a permanent reminder. Dr Katy Upton marks her team’s first successful breeding of each rare frog species with an anatomically correct frog tattoo. Katy explained: “I’m very proud of the work we do with these species and I love tattoos of the animals I work with. So far I’ve got two on my right forearm - Raniotmeya summersii - Summers' poison frog - and...
Unassuming in the winter, male ruffs transform in the Spring with eye-catching plumage - and it's all for the benefit of the females...
Keepers at Torquay’s coastal zoo are preparing the ground for some fierce competition. They are cutting the grass and clearing undergrowth so that one species of bird can indulge in its extraordinary mating ritual.
The ruff (Calidris pugnax) is an unassuming medium-sized wading bird that breeds in marshes and wet meadows across northern Europe. Females are grey-brown and white with grey mottling, and so are males – most of the time....
A local business is boosting the cause of conservation by doing what it does best – selling great beer. Bays Brewery has launched a special beer – Trunk Ale - on behalf of wildlife charity Paignton Zoo Environmental Park.
Trunk Ale has been brewed using traditional methods but with exciting new hops, resulting in a well-balanced deep amber ale of 4.5%.
Paignton Zoo supports environmental education in the forests of south-western Nigeria, where the elusive forest elephant still survives. The Zoo has been funding work in the Omo Forest since 2008.
Conservationists in Torquay have turned marine waste into thought-provoking art.
A new installation at Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo and aquarium, combines education, plastic waste and inspirational creativity. And for zoo artist Jackie Kidd, the task has turned into an obsession - and a new hobby. Jackie collected rubbish on beaches for 6 weeks to make the work. And she found beauty in the piles of coloured plastic waste: “It has been an interesting and wonderfully colourful project, one which I hope will inspire others to collect, create and recycle for the future of our...
Help with a practical task at an East Devon Nature Reserve
Join the East Devon Conservation Volunteers for a practical task looking after the orchard trees. Help with mulching and weeding around the fruit trees.
Please book to ensure there are enough snacks for 11am break!
No experience in required, just enthusiasm. Everyone is encouraged to work at their own pace.
