Paignton Zoo is a zoo in Paignton, Devon, England, operated by Dutch leisure company Libéma since January 2026. The zoo houses a collection of approximately 1,876 animals representing nearly 189 species, and cultivates about 1,600 different species of plant across its 80-acre site.
Originally established as a private collection by Herbert Whitley in the grounds of his home Primley House, the zoo opened to the public in 1923 as Primley Zoological Gardens. Following Whitley's death in 1955, the zoo was placed into a charitable trust, which later became the Wild Planet Trust.
Paignton Zoo is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria – holding the vice-chair position until 2025 – and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Animals and plants
Animals As of January 2026, Paignton Zoo maintains a collection of roughly 1,876 animals representing around 189 species throughout its 80-acre site.
The zoo participates in numerous European Endangered Species Programmes (EEPs) and manages the international studbooks for several species, including the Southern cassowary and Sulawesi crested macaque, a Critically Endangered species.
Notable species
Paignton Zoo is the only zoo in the United Kingdom to house a northern brown kiwi and a short-beaked echidna.
The collection includes eleven Critically Endangered species: Sumatran tiger, western lowland gorilla, Bornean orangutan, eastern mountain bongo, Lesser Antillean iguana, Annam leaf turtle, brown spider monkey, red ruffed lemur, red-necked ostrich, Sulawesi crested macaque, and the Socorro dove, which is extinct in the wild.
Popular residents include Rothschild's giraffes, Linné's two-toed sloths, a secretarybird, Chilean flamingos, a Cuban crocodile, African lions, and red pandas. The zoo's lar gibbons and pileated gibbons are housed on an island in the main lake, providing a distinctive exhibit visible throughout the site.
Conservation breeding achievements Paignton Zoo has achieved notable success in breeding threatened species. In 2024, the zoo successfully hand-reared a pink pigeon squab for the first time, using an innovative technique developed by bird keeper Tom Tooley. Pink pigeons, endemic to Mauritius, were once on the brink of extinction with wild numbers thought to have been as low as nine individuals in 1991. The zoo's participation in the pink pigeon EEP, alongside collaboration with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, has contributed to the species' recovery. Tooley has travelled to Mauritius on multiple occasions to train local staff in his specialized hand-rearing method, which uses a catheter and syringe system rather than conventional crop tubing.
Other breeding successes in 2024 included the hatching of several Chilean flamingo chicks, including one raised by a same-sex pair, and the successful fledging of a Socorro dove, a species extinct in the wild.
In 2025, the zoo achieved their first successful breeding of southern cassowary since 2004, and the only cassowary birth in Europe that year, following the successful introduction of 16-year-old male Madrid and 11-year-old female Twiggy in May 2025.
A pregnant Diana monkey who had been diagnosed with an ovarian tumour during pregnancy successfully gave birth to a healthy infant in April 2025. The zoo described managing the pregnancy as a "delicate balancing act of nature and medical intervention".
A king colobus monkey was born in October 2025. The birth followed an extensive four-year international search to find a suitable male, making Paignton one of only 13 collections across the UK and Europe to house this increasingly endangered species.
Two maned wolf pups were born in November 2025 to parents Tolock and Lua.
Botanical gardens
Historical precedent From its earliest years, the zoo has been managed as both a zoological and horticultural landscape, with planting schemes designed to support animal welfare, recreate natural habitats, and enhance the visitor experience. Founder Herbert Whitley was an enthusiastic horticulturist who cultivated rare and exotic plants, including several blue‑flowered varieties such as the mallow Malva sylvestris 'Primley Blue'.
Horticultural displays Paignton Zoo cultivates approximately 1,600 species of plants throughout its 80-acre site, combining horticultural display with conservation priorities, habitat creation, and animal welfare, with plants arranged to recreate authentic natural environments for both animals and visitors.
The zoo's horticulture team maintains year-round planting programmes, with seasonal highlights including magnolia (Magnolia spp.) and blossom trees in spring, hibiscus (Hibiscus spp.) in the tropical houses, and Japanese maples providing autumn colour.
Browse production Many plants are cultivated specifically to provide food and enrichment for the zoo's animal collection. Winter supplies include cotoneaster (Cotoneaster spp.), hazel (Corylus avellana), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), and lacebark trees (Hoheria sexstylosa), with seasonal rotation to sycamore and other deciduous species. The programme reduces the zoo's carbon footprint whilst providing nutritional benefits and natural foraging enrichment for species ranging from gorillas to giraffes and bongo antelope.
In 2009, Paignton Zoo installed Europe’s first VertiCrop vertical growing system to produce browse using hydroponic technology. Although no longer in use, the project marked a notable innovation in sustainable horticulture.
Conservation and collaboration
The botanical collection plays an active role in plant conservation, with the zoo cultivating numerous endangered species including the paperbark maple (Acer griseum), which faces challenges in the wild due to poor seed viability. The zoo participates in material exchange and technique-sharing programmes with other botanical gardens worldwide. Indoor greenhouses and propagation areas support both conservation breeding programmes and display specimens.
Notable species in the collection include critically endangered cacti in the desert house, alongside impressive specimens such as titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum), giant bamboo, and giant water lilies in the tropical houses. In 2025, the zoo donated titan arum specimens to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The gardens won Gold awards in the Britain in Bloom competition in both 2024 and 2025, gaining national recognition as an attraction in their own right.
History
Primley Zoological Gardens
Paignton Zoo originated from the private animal collection of Herbert Whitley, a wealthy breeder based at Primley House in Devon. Whitley amassed a wide range of species, including exotic animals, which eventually formed the basis of his public zoological gardens. Whitley first opened his collection to the public on 1 July 1923 as Primley Zoological Gardens. Soon after, a dispute with the Inland Revenue over the "amusement tax" led him to close the site in protest. He re-opened in June 1927 after agreeing to pay the tax, but a similar disagreement in 1934 over an additional fee for the new Tropical House resulted in a second closure in 1937.
Devon Zoo and Circus
In 1939, government restrictions on large public gatherings required the temporary closure of many entertainment venues, including Chessington Zoo. This prompted a partnership between Chessington's Reginald Goddard and Whitley, who agreed to house evacuated animals at Primley. Among the animals transferred were Peggy, daughter of the tigress Beauty and known for appearing in the film Elephant Boy, as well as a home‑bred lioness and her four cubs.
The zoo was re-opened to the public on Saturday 24 August 1940, with a combined collection operating as the Devon Zoo and Circus. Goddard introduced a more entertainment‑focused programme than Whitley had previously favoured, including circus acts and a miniature railway.
The arrangement continued until 1946, when Goddard returned to Chessington with most of his animals, though some attractions remained for several years.
Following the end of the wartime partnership, Whitley formed a new management arrangement with local accountant Norman Dixon. Under this structure, the site evolved into Paignton Zoo and Botanical Gardens, establishing the foundations of the modern zoo.
Transition to a charitable trust Following a period of post‑war growth, Paignton Zoo entered a new phase of development after the death of its founder, Herbert Whitley, in 1955. By this time the zoo had become a well‑established attraction in Torbay and an important regional centre for zoological and horticultural work.
Whitley's estate, which included the zoo and several Devon nature reserves such as Slapton Ley, was bequeathed to his associate Philip Michelmore. The Herbert Whitley Trust was subsequently created to ensure the continued operation of the site, which later became the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust and, more recently, the Wild Planet Trust. The trust was established as a non‑profit body responsible for managing the zoo in line with its existing aims and practices.
In 1952, Ken Smith was appointed superintendent and played a significant role in guiding the zoo through the operational transition that followed Whitley’s death. His tenure saw continued growth in the animal collection and involvement in early local conservation work such as the rescue of oiled seabirds in Torbay. He remained in post until 1958, when he left to become the first superintendent of Gerald Durrell’s newly established Jersey Zoo.
In 1961, W. E. Francis was appointed General Manager. The zoo created its first full‑time education post in partnership with Devon County Council education committee. Visitor numbers continued to rise during this period, reaching 346,000 in 1962 and 353,000 in 1963.
Development and expansion (1960s–1980s) During the 1960s and 1970s, Paignton Zoo continued to expand its animal collection and visitor facilities. Giraffes were first introduced to Paignton Zoo in 1968, marking a significant addition to its large mammal collection. The zoo celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1973 with the construction of Baboon Rock, a major new exhibit housing a troop of Hamadryas baboons. In 1977, two elephants, Duchess and Gay, arrived from Longleat and became long‑standing residents.
In 1984, television presenter Johnny Morris opened The Ark, a new exhibit aimed at younger visitors. The same year saw the introduction of the Nature Trail, which for the first time allowed the public to access part of the zoo’s adjoining wildlife reserve at Clennon Gorge.
In 1988, Chimps, Champs and Elephants: Herbert Whitley and the Making of Paignton Zoo was published. A launch event was held at the zoo, attended by Olympic ski jumper Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards.
Primley Park, part of Herbert Whitley’s former estate and neighbouring the zoo, became the focus of development proposals during the 1980s. Following a sustained campaign led by the Paignton Heritage Society, the site was designated a public park and formally opened up by the zoo in 1992.
Redevelopment and modernisation (1990s) The 1990s marked a significant period of redevelopment for Paignton Zoo. In 1994, the zoo sold six acres of land for the construction of a Safeway supermarket (later Morrisons), a move that helped secure £2.9 million from the European Regional Development Fund. This funding supported a six‑year programme of expansion and modernisation carried out between 1995 and 2001.Several new exhibits opened during this period. In 1996, the Desert House was introduced as a walkthrough habitat for desert species, alongside Brookside Aviary and a new tiger enclosure. The same year, John Cleese officially opened a new entrance building, replacing the original Totnes Road access and creating a revised visitor route.