Naomi the grey gibbon, one of the oldest residents of Paignton Zoo, has died.
Animal staff and in-house vets took the difficult decision to put her to sleep after she became seriously ill. Zoo spokesperson Phil Knowling: “She went downhill quickly. Clinical signs suggested she might have had a urinary tract problem, which can lead to complications such as kidney failure in older animals. With an animal of that age, you have to be realistic about their quality of life, their ability to recover and their resilience.
“Animal staff spent days patiently trying to tempt her with...
One of the most striking birds in the world has bred at Paignton Zoo. The scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) is famous for its bright red feathers – although, as you can see, the chicks are anything but scarlet.
There’s no other wading bird as scarlet as a scarlet ibis, but it takes time for juveniles to grow into the colour. It’s not until their second moult that the birds begin to take on that extraordinary rosy sheen. It can take two years or more for the dazzling change to be completed; the colour comes from the red crustaceans in their diet.
Zoo keepers at Living Coasts in Torquay are naming and shaming their naughtiest penguins. They’re writing the names of mischievous birds on a chalkboard for guests to see - and singling out others for their good behaviour.
The 63 African penguins and 12 macaroni penguins at Torquay’s coastal zoo mix freely with guests. But some penguins are better-behaved than others.
Zoo spokesperson Phil Knowling: “We’ve put up a board on which we write the names of the best and worst-behaved penguins, and what they’ve done. This gives guests a real insight into exactly what penguins get...
In a lovely little place not far from the sea, the old fella takes it easy. He has a garden, a nice view and people who come in every day to look after him. He’s got bad feet, declining eye-sight and bowel problems.
Oh, and he’s a 190 kilo gorilla…
Pertinax the Western lowland gorilla, who stood down from his role as boss of the all-male troop at Paignton Zoo, is an OAP – an Old Age Primate. He’s old for a wild gorilla, though zoo gorillas can live longer because of good vet care. The need for specialist geriatric care in zoos is growing, as Paignton Zoo Head Vet Ghislaine...
It’s an expensive time of year for birthday presents among the kittiwakes at Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo. The five adult birds all have birthdays between July 17th and August 7th. And now a chick has hatched on its mother’s birthday.
The kittiwake also hatched in the same nest and to the same parents as last year, when Living Coasts recorded its first ever breeding of this species. The kittiwake is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Senior Keeper Jason Keller has been keeping a close eye on things: “The chick seems...
The matriarch of Paignton Zoo has died. Female African elephant Duchess collapsed in her house early on Sunday morning. Despite a determined and extended response from her keepers, the in-house vet team and other staff and volunteers, the difficult decision to euthaniase her was taken at lunch-time.
Simon Tonge, Executive Director of Paignton Zoo, was present throughout: “Duchess was found collapsed in her house at 8.00 in the morning. She was lying on her left side – with her good eye to the floor - and unable to stand, which was distressing for her keepers to see.
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 get us clear!”
Paignton Zoo’s Executive Director Simon Tonge: “We are looking to the future with a renewed sense of certainty. Paignton Zoo plays such an important role in many European...
The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, the charity that runs Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, will become Wild Planet Trust.
The name will be officially launched in June, with signage, branding and uniforms changing over the following months.
Director of Marketing and Development Pippa Craddock explained: “We’ve been moving towards this moment since 2012 - we have definitely not rushed into it! We’ve been a name in conservation for over 60 years. While we are proud of our history, and of Herbert Whitley, the man who founded Paignton Zoo...
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 Owston’s civet.
The three attended a workshop about this curious carnivore, held meetings with partner organisations and visited wildlife rescue centres. The species is a special focus of...
An African penguin chick has been nursed back to health with fish soup by dedicated zoo keepers. The decision to remove the chick from its parents was taken when keepers saw signs of illness and a lack of appetite.
Since then, staff at Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo and aquarium, have been feeding the chick every 3 hours from 7.30 in the morning to 7.30 at night. The only thing on the menu is fish; at first this was blended into a liquid soup, but the chick has now moved on to solids.
The chick hatched in early September to penguin parents Burt and his somewhat oddly-...
