Paignton

Jon Culshaw: The Great British Take Off - spring tour is coming to Devon

Celebrated comedian, impressionist and star of BBC Radio 4’s Dead Ringer ’s Jon Culshaw (accompanied by legendary comedy producer and author Bill Dare ), takes to the road for a new run of their acclaimed show The Great British Take Off , following sell out runs at the Edinburgh Festival and across the UK.

And the good news is that the tour will be coming to The Palace Theatre in...

Zoo keepers save animals after storm damage

Keepers at Paignton Zoo saved scores of animals after recent storms damaged a key building.

High winds ripped open a 36-metre-long air vent in the roof of Reptile Tropics at around 7.30 one morning, exposing vulnerable animals, plants and electrics. Staff rushed to save lizards, snakes, turtles, iguanas, chameleons and geckos as the temperature in the building dropped. Meanwhile,...

Trees in Trust

National Tree Week - from 23rd November to 1st December – is the UK's largest annual tree celebration, and marks the start of the winter tree planting season. One locally-based conservation charity is using the occasion to shine a spotlight on some of the many trees in its care.

Wild Planet Trust is the conservation charity behind Paignton Zoo. The zoo is more famous for animals...

New vet scholarship aids wild orang utans

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...

Zoo gorilla plays ball

England’s chances in the Rugby World Cup would be greatly improved if they had this chap in the line-up.

Male Western lowland gorilla Pertinax lives at Paignton Zoo in Devon. He‘s around 6 feet from head to toe – modest for a professional rugby player these days, but he weighs in at a hefty 190 kilos - and it’s pretty much all muscle. At 37 he’s a bit of a senior now, but even the All...

Charity beer hits the spot

Bays Brewery’s special orangutan-themed beer has raised nearly two thousand pounds for a local conservation charity.

The guest beer, called Orangutan Ale, sold out, raising £1,393 for Paignton Zoo. Along with collecting tins and other fundraising activities, the grand total donated is £1,881,94.

Orangutan Ale, a handsome tawny colour to match its name and the species, was...

What can you find on a beach…?

Swimming trunks, a fishing rod and part of a car exhaust system were among the surprising items found on the latest beach clean organised by staff at Living Coasts.

The charity zoo’s Events Coordinator Hayley Gibson said: “We had 72 volunteers on the day, which was fantastic, and we collected 4 large bin bags full of litter. Goodrington is a fairly well-kept beach, but if you look...

Are these the sweetest babies in the world?

There are baby red ruffed lemurs at Paignton Zoo – and just look at them! The charity zoo is a professional science and conservation body working internationally to help save these Critically Endangered primates – but sometimes all the serious stuff is pushed to one side by incredibly cute baby animals.

Head Keeper of Mammals Owen Taylor said: “When we were sure she was close to giving...

Paignton Zoo breeds vampires...

This is a vampire crab. With its purple body, orange pincers and piercing pale eyes, it’s a nightmarish vision. And a crab that’s also a vampire? Days out at the beach will never be the same… You may not have heard of a vampire crab, though it’s a species popular with aquarists – in fact, illegal over-collection for the pet trade is a real threat to the species. As alarming as it looks, this...

Giraffe death shocks zoo

Staff and volunteers at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park have been left shocked by the sudden death of male giraffe Yoda. The 14-year-old northern giraffe was found collapsed in the giraffe house early this morning.

Zoo spokesperson Phil Knowling said: “This has come as a huge shock. He was a noble animal, one of the best-known and best-loved characters in the Zoo. There was no warning...

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