If animal training makes you think of tricks and shows, think again. Top zoos use training to improve animal welfare, reduce the need for risky general anaesthetics and to keep both animals and people safe.
For example, bird keeper Sam Gray has trained Alfie Junior the Southern cassowary – as tall as a person and part bird, part dinosaur – to follow a target, which means she can get...
Kitley House Hotel is celebrating having won Gold and Silver in the prestigious Devon Tourism Awards 2019. The four* hotel at Yealmpton, near Plymouth, was delighted to win Gold as ‘Wedding Venue of the Year’ against stiff competition from other leading businesses, and also scooped Silver in the ‘Business Events Venue’ category.
Kitley House Hotel received its two sparkling Dartington...
Paignton Zoo has welcomed a new species – the wonderfully-named gentle lemur. There’s more than a little of the teddy bear about them, with their thick, grey-brown fur and beady amber eyes. The babies are said to be especially cute – and the zoo certainly hopes to see babies in due course.
The gentle lemur – more correctly, the Alaotran gentle lemur - is the only primate that lives...
A Devon charity is inspiring young people to change the world – and they’re doing it for free.
Wild Planet Trust is launching new sustainability workshops for schools. The six free workshops – called All Our Futures – aim to empower children and young people to make good choices for the future. Group Education Manager Steve Nash explained:
This tiger snail at Paignton Zoo weighs around 500 grams – equivalent to 50 garden snails. Individuals can live for ten years. You may not want to see this specimen in your garden, but Paignton Zoo keeper Lauren Lane is besotted with these amazing creatures – and has nick-named this individual Sausage…
2019 has been an award-winning year for Kitley House at Yealmpton and the hotel is now in the running for Gold in this year’s Devon Tourism Awards – in not one but two categories.
Following a meeting of the judging panel last week, Kitley is through to the finals in Wedding Venue of the Year and Business Events Venue of the Year. The Devon Tourism Awards are now in their 10th year and...
Kitley House Hotel, a finalist in the 2019 Devon Tourism Awards as Best Wedding Venue, is opening its doors to wedding couples for a special winter wedding event showcasing the hotel in all its splendour.
The hotel will be dressed for you to experience its full potential as a magical wedding venue, and some of Kitley's preferred suppliers will be on hand to inspire the look for your perfect day.
Ask our experienced team questions about the hotel, your special requirements and our exclusive-use options. You can also discuss our new intimate weddings offering and...
Paignton Zoo bird keeper Lisa Jones freely admits that she has an interest that borders on obsession. She’s fascinated by feathers.
“During the summer months, lots of birds at Paignton Zoo start to moult… I think feathers are among the natural world’s most incredible adaptations. While I was cleaning out the Ural owls, who are moulting heavily now, I wondered if anyone else would be as...
Two vets from Indonesia are the first to benefit from a unique new scholarship programme run by a Cornish vet charity. OVAID – Orang utan Veterinary Aid – is run by Nigel and Sara Hicks, based in Launceston. They help hard-pressed orang utan rescue centres and sanctuaries with veterinary support and donations of equipment.
The new OVAID Bronwyn Scholarship meant that two South East...
Do you sit on a town or parish council in Devon? If so, you need to know how to respond to planning proposals affecting your community. Your response, as consultees in the planning process, can significantly influence the outcome and make a real difference to what the local planning authority decides. CPRE Devon invites you to a special ‘planning workshop’ for Devon’s town and parish councils. Experienced, independent Planning Consultant, Jo Widdecombe, will guide you through the process and explain what’s important. Free admission for member organisations (up to 3 people free per member...
