A Rothschild’s giraffe born at Paignton Zoo in January is to be called Joanna.
The female calf, now three months old, was named by visitors who voted for their favourite names by placing donations in a special collecting box. Voting raised nearly £200 for the charity’s conservation work.
The name Chloe was a close second, followed by Florrie, Rusa, Ehiska, K’Tusha, Arya, Dasa, Kalena and Hvezda.
Six foot Joanna was born to mother Sangha and father Yoda on the afternoon of Saturday 25th January. The other youngsters at the Zoo are Valentino, born to mother Janica on...
Paignton Zoo’s baby Bornean orang utan Tatau is celebrating her first birthday.
She was born on 11 April 2013 to mother Mali and father Demo.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park Director of Operations and Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment said: “She is doing well. Her progress is fairly typical for a one-year old orang. She is not weaned yet, but tries any food that is passing on the way to mum’s mouth! She picks at the watery soft items like cucumbers and tomatoes, but is mainly just sucking on them wistfully!”
At first the tiny baby was only seen clinging to mum, but...
Paignton Zoo’s two orang utan mothers are being kept busy by their offspring.
Mali gave birth on Thursday 11th April 2013. Her female baby was named Tatau after a public vote. Chinta gave birth on Sunday 22nd December. Natalia was named by readers of the Herald Express.
Both have been photographed by Paignton Zoo volunteer Ray Wiltshire.
The Bornean orang utan (Pongo pygmaeus) is threatened by hunting, the pet trade and the destruction of its rainforest habitat. Forest is being destroyed to create palm oil plantations. Given the declining populations, measures such...
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is celebrating a second orang utan birth in 9 months.
Bornean orang utan Chinta gave birth on Sunday 22nd December.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park Director of Operations and Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment said: “You wait 16 years and then two babies come along in nine months!” One of the Zoo’s other females, Mali, gave birth to a female baby named Tatau in April.
“Mother and baby have had time together in their off show den away from people and the wind and the rain, but they should have access to the show den in the Ape Centre from...
A Paignton Zoo gorilla has joined the Royal Navy on a voyage to the Antarctic.
The adventurous ape, named PEG – Polar Explorer Gorilla - has sailed on board HMS Protector, the Royal Navy’s ice patrol ship. And fittingly, this plastic Paignton Zoo gorilla will be painted with an image of a Living Coasts' macaroni penguin, alongside a number of other penguin species.
The curious arrangement came about after the Executive Director of Paignton Zoo and Living Coasts, Simon Tonge, was invited to lunch on board ship with other dignitaries. Simon: “During conversation the...
Animal staff at a Devon zoo and aquarium have been tackling a tricky task – micro-chipping venomous stingrays.
So how do you work with patients that are wet, slippery and have venomous tails? Zoo vet Catherine Bergzoll: “We had a team including vets, vet nurses, keepers and volunteers. We caught one ray at a time and placed it in a tub with anaesthetic dissolved in the water. The sedation meant that the rays were calm, making the procedure less stressful for them and safer and easier for us.”
Once the ray was sedated it was transferred onto a wet mat. “One keeper wearing...
Bird keepers at Paignton Zoo have seen a burst of late-season hatchings.
It’s thought to be thanks to the weather.
Curator of Birds Jo Gregson said: “It’s because we had a cold spring followed by a good summer. Many species have bred later this year.”
The current crop of chicks includes toco toucans, red-legged seriemas, southern screamers and black crowned cranes.
The toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) can be difficult to breed; Paignton is the only UK zoo to have bred the species this year. Native to South America, toco toucans are the most recognizable of the...
Curator of Plants and Gardens Kevin Frediani is saying good bye to Paignton Zoo Environmental Park after five extraordinary years. He leaves a considerable legacy – but it is as much about people as plants.
Kevin grew up in Ashburton, on the edge of Dartmoor, and has worked for the Queen at Windsor Great Park and at Hortus Botanicus in the Netherlands. “Growing plants in a zoo full of animals is always a challenge – but I think I have helped to realise the potential of plants in what was the world’s first combined zoo and botanic garden.”
The tallest baby in the world has just been born at Paignton Zoo in Devon.
The Rothschild's giraffe calf stands at nearly six feet tall.
The as yet unnamed and unsexed calf was born to mother Janica and father Yoda on the morning of Tuesday 20 August.
Paignton Zoo Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment said: “The first thing that happens to a baby giraffe when it is born is a six foot drop onto the ground – it’s a hard way to start!”
The gestation period for a giraffe is between 400 and 460 days. The mother gives birth standing up – the fall breaks the...
Paignton Zoo Head of Education Lisa Stroud smiles a lot – but then, she has plenty to smile about. When she took up her post 16 months ago, she inherited a busy department with an enthusiastic team and strong partnerships beyond the gates of the Zoo. Now, she has won a major grant to help pay for a whole range of innovations. “I love my job!” she enthuses.
The conservation charity’s successful Education Department was built up from next-to-nothing over many years by previous incumbents, including her immediate predecessor Rob Lovell. She took over a team of 12, including six part-...
