wildlife

Boots on the ground: conservation in action

A South West charity is marking World Ranger Day on Wednesday 31st July by highlighting the work of its conservation patrols – and by paying tribute to a ranger recently killed in the line of duty.

Wild Planet Trust, the charity that runs Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, helps fund forest patrols in the highlands of Tanzania and in the Omo Forest...

Devon’s new nature reserve… in the South Atlantic

Living Coasts has announced a new conservation project linking Torquay with a group of islands half a world away.

Torquay’s coastal zoo’s latest project is based on the Falkland Islands – an archipelago of over 750 islands, home to roughly 3,000 people, 500,000 sheep - and one million penguins. Yes, this is a UK territory with penguins. The islands are home to some of the most...

Thriving Together: people and nature in balance

A key regional conservation charity has signed up to a campaign highlighting an environmental issue that has been described as the world’s most important yet least discussed – population growth.

Wild Planet Trust, the charity that runs Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, has joined the Thriving Together campaign, which recognises that family planning is...

Hatching chicks (nearly) as easy as ABC

This Vietnam pheasant chick – and others like it hatched recently at Paignton Zoo – could be the future of its species. Bird keepers at the charity zoo are based in the Avian Breeding Centre, commonly known as the ABC. The chick is being cared for here; while it’s preferable for chicks to be parent reared, keepers will step in to give nature a helping hand when needed. Another six (unrelated)...

Zoo's TB restrictions lifted

The TB restrictions at Paignton Zoo have been lifted. The conservation charity has been constrained since August 2017, when a single case of TB was discovered.

A crucial final test has come back all clear. Head of Veterinary Services Ghislaine Sayers said: “We’ve been through a lot. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to care for animals during this difficult time and to help...

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...

Zoo staff save sick orang utan

Animal experts at Paignton Zoo have been battling around the clock to save a sick primate.

Keepers, vets and vet nurses responded swiftly when female orang utan Gambira was taken ill suddenly and sat with her long into the night after emergency surgery.

They found she had an infection of her air sac (a large pouch in the throat, thought to be used for vocalisation and connected...

Wild, wild website

The charity behind the region’s three top zoos has launched a new website with a new look and a radical new approach. Wild Planet Trust is the new name for the charity that runs Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall. The charity’s new website places a strong emphasis on highlighting the conservation and research work of the zoos. Trust spokesperson Phil Knowling...

Trust strengthens international conservation links

Staff from a South West conservation charity have been on a 12,000-mile round trip to help secure the future of a strange nocturnal mammal.Animal experts John Meek (Newquay Zoo Curator) and Owen Taylor (Paignton Zoo Head Keeper of Mammals) and scientist Dr Andrew Bowkett (Wild Planet Trust Field Conservation & Research Programmes Manager) travelled to Vietnam recently on behalf of the...

Paignton Zoo keeper hatches conservation success

This is the extraordinary moment the hatching of a rare Mauritius pink pigeon chick was caught on video – and the moment the hard work started in earnest for Paignton Zoo bird keeper Tom Tooley. Senior Bird Keeper Tom is currently 6,000 miles away on the island of Mauritius. But if you think he’s dodged the English winter to relax on a tropical island, think again. He’s spending time with...

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