Kalaw
Well-Known Member
Shaldon Zoo:
Date of Visit: 30th July
Location: Shaldon, Devon, England
Target Species: Owston's Civet, Bengal Slow Loris, Lemur Leaf Frog
Situated on a forested cliff face that overlooks the English Channel, Shaldon Zoo is one of a plethora of tiny British zoos. Even with a new extension in 2009, this zoo still barely even covers an acre, and is certainly not where you would go to find one of the nation’s finest zoological institutions. And while in breadth, comprehensiveness or ambition, it does not come close, in terms of its achievements, impact and intangible charm, Shaldon arguably punches above its weight more so than any other zoo in the nation. Founded in 1964 by Ken Smith, a close friend and former travelling companion of the world-famous Gerald Durrell who, at one point, was chosen to supervise his zoo in Jersey while Durrell was travelling, Shaldon was one of four smaller children’s zoo that Smith founded along the South Coast after falling out with his companion. When Smith left in 1970, the other three zoos (at Exmouth, Newquay and Poole) all closed shortly afterwards, but with the arrival of Mike Moore and Stuart Muir, two former keepers of London Zoo, Shaldon managed to avoid extinction, and began to focus on smaller, but very endangered species. Coupled with enormous contributions to in situ conservation projects (certainly far more than what you can reasonably expect for a zoo of its size), this made the local community fall in love with their zoo, and it was that support which helped it cling on to existence. In 1984, they became the Shaldon Wildlife Trust, a non-profit conservation charity. Officially, the organisation is ‘Shaldon Wildlife Trust,’ and the institution is ‘Shaldon Zoo,’ but the two names are used interchangeably. Moore left in 1994 and Muir in 2003, but their impact on the zoo can still be felt to this day.
The truth is, that I fell in love with Shaldon Zoo. I don’t believe that I have ever felt such a strong admiration or love for a zoo in ages, perhaps not even since my first visit to Whipsnade in 2013. It is a collection that I certainly hope, and plan, to visit again in the near future. As such, even though this is a small collection, this review will be thorough, and very positive.
The first thing to note about Shaldon Zoo is that, so long as you keep your ticket receipt, you can enter the collection once, then leave and re-enter as many times as you like throughout the day. This is pleasant, as the zoo’s location is beautiful. Shaldon is a charming and pleasant village in and of itself, but the much larger town of Teignmouth, separated by the Teign estuary, is equally lovely and worth a wonder. Alternatively, the Southwest Coast path has many lovely pathways behind the zoo, which run from the cliff immediately behind the zoo down to Labrador Bay, an RSPB reserve. There are many coves and beaches nearby, many of which feature the red rocks and cliff-faces which are so prominent throughout the county of Devon. Among them is Ness Cove beach, hidden from the rest of the world by the cliff upon which the zoo can be found, and accessed only by an ancient underground tunnel, once used to transport limestone to a kiln right beside the zoo’s entrance. The area immediately around the zoo is filled with other delights, such as viewing platforms and fish ponds, while the zoo’s lack of a cafe or bathroom is made up for by the presence of both immediately next door. The former is expensive, but the food is lovely, and the views even more so. I would strongly suggest arriving relatively early in the morning, querying the very friendly keepers as to whether or not species of interest have public feeding times (your best chance of seeing some of the more elusive ones) and if so when, quickly exploring the zoo, leaving for lunch, tea, a beach day or a village tour, then returning at the times given for a final few circuits of the collection. Alternatively, if you have less interest in rare species, and are fast paced when it comes to visiting zoos, then perhaps you could tie this in with other nearby collections of note, such as the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, Dartmoor Zoo in Sparkwell, or, of course, Paignton Zoo.
The zoo itself now begins by introducing you to the newer extension (a misleading name, given that it is fourteen years old now, but it still looks and feels very young). The entire thing consists of a lovely wooden boardwalk through the forest. Mature trees, with sunlight occasionally peering through, illuminating the place and disguising the thin mesh from certain angles, makes for a delightful setting. The first enclosure seen is one for Pygmy Marmoset and Golden Lion Tamarin. Their indoor area was a simple, box-like structure, although with a much more generous amount of leaves than what is often seen in callitrichid enclosures, while the outdoor area was even more delightful. Like with all of the enclosures in the new extension, it is very tall, going right down to the forest floor, below the boardwalk, with the viewing angles offering the inhabitants privacy, but also far above. I am a firm believer in the excellence of cage-like primate enclosures, as they do well to offer the animals ample climbing, and thus enrichment, when done well. But when done poorly, they are essentially prison cells. Thankfully, all of the cages at Shaldon are excellent, aesthetically pleasing thanks to the plants and lighting, covered in enrichment and logs to offer better enrichment, and quite large. This one in particular was a treat, as it marked the first time in which I ever recall seeing two different species of primate grooming each other, something which was made more special by the comical size difference between these two species.
Just beyond this enclosure was the Coppery Titi enclosure. It was identical in many ways, but far larger, and offered slightly less privacy, both results of the species in question being considerably larger. It turned out that they actually shared their indoor enclosure with a Three-banded Armadillo, who could occasionally be seen running between the various dens which their enclosure offered. They were unsigned, but locals informed me that they were not a new addition, but could rarely be seen, and the individual in the Nocturnal House (on which more will be covered shortly) is, by contrast, much more active. I liked the titi cage, but it was hardly outstanding.
On the opposite side of the boardwalk, the ground, a result of the zoo being a cliff face, had been raised so much that, at one point, a small ledge was formed that is almost level with the walkway. It appeared to simply be an empty natural feature, until I realised that the rock in the centre was actually a Yellow-footed Tortoise, and that this was but an excellent example of a zoo creating enclosures that blend into their environment well. Their indoor area was far less natural, but still very good for the inhabitants, and a mist effect within the enclosure is a nice touch. The nearby Northern White-faced Scops-Owl is somewhat barren, barring a few logs, and (although this may be intentional, due to the nocturnal nature of the inhabitants) dimly lit thanks to a tarpaulin over the top, but it is very spacious, especially considering how small owl aviaries often are in zoos, and how little space Shaldon has at their disposal. A very large empty cage is just around the corner, which I believe, at one point, held a mix of douroucouli, treeshrew and chevrotain. It is a shame that it is now empty, as the latter in particular is a lovely, but increasingly rare, species. Only the treeshrew remain, elsewhere in the zoo, but I was informed elsewhere on this site that they are sadly destined to depart the collection as well fairly soon.
The zoo’s Binturong cage is nearby. Another animal which can be excellently displayed in a cage if the cage is well-designed, this is perhaps the best cage-like enclosure that I have ever seen for them along with the aforementioned one at Cotswold. The multi-level viewing (from here, and from elsewhere in the zoo, by which time the boardwalk has raised considerably) helps, as does the sheer height of it all. The number of platforms and logs stationed was so impressive that it created the illusion of multiple levels, and it was very well-planted as well. Perhaps my favourite of the cage-like setups at Shaldon, however, was the South American Squirrel Monkey enclosure. It may well be the largest cage that I have ever seen for them, with phenomenal height, actually becoming taller as the enclosure stretches back thanks to the sloping terrain of the zoo, and it probably offers more climbing and space than what many zoos offer for the closely related, but considerably larger, capuchin. Another trend at Shaldon was that cages weren’t seen as an excuse to give up on naturalism altogether, with many cages being abnormally well-vegetated, some featuring live trees that grow up through the centre, and others having their floor completely disguised by plants.
The squirrel monkeys access their indoor area by tunnels under the visitor pathway, which lead to a well-lit, spacious, but simplistic house. It is part of a larger building of sorts, the visitor’s area of which has a roof for shelter, but is open on all other sides. The most noteworthy feature of this building, however, is the nocturnal enclosure for Brush-tailed Bettong and Grey Mouse Lemur, two species that, prior to this trip, were long-overdue lifeticks of sorts, in that they are decently common in captivity, and yet I had never seen them in person. I managed to tick off the lemurs three days prior at Cotswold, which was thankful, as they were the only species in the entirety of Shaldon Zoo which I didn’t see during my visit, but the bettong did mark a lifetick. I checked in on their enclosure, lit by red light, but appearing to be sizable, on several occasions throughout the day, and during all of them, there was at least one bettong to be seen leaping about, but not a single mouse lemur. The amount of branches, many of which covered in leaves for privacy, which said species had access to around the top of the enclosure, was very impressive indeed. It's a very nice enclosure, but one flaw is that it can only be seen through very small windows, so as to prevent natural sunlight from peering in - thankfully, there weren’t enough crowds to make this a problem, but I can imagine how frustrating this would be on busier days.
You then turn a corner, and arrive at the Meerkat enclosure, which, like just about every enclosure for this species, is barren and unimaginative, with some decent rockwork and occasional shrubbery being all that there is of note, however this was definitely among the larger meerkat enclosures which I have personally seen. The aforementioned upper view of the binturong was nearby, as was their onshow indoor area, if memory serves, part of the same building as the bettongs. Opposite them, a large structure made of wood and wire consisted of two separate enclosures, one for Black-cheeked Lovebird and the other for Belanger’s Treeshrew. As mentioned earlier, the latter is due to leave the collection, a real shame, as although decently common both in captivity and in the wild, most of their holders are relatively small and obscure zoos, so I rarely see them, and Shaldon had by far the most active individual of this species that I have ever seen, venturing outdoors in the mid afternoon, and performing many laps of their enclosure in the sunlight. Both the lovebird and treeshrew enclosures are very narrow, but make up for it by being extremely tall. The lovebirds also had a decently large indoor area, seen from a boardwalk behind the meerkats, but sadly the one for the treeshrews is offshow. When the treeshrews depart, I cannot help but hope for a new species, but I think combining it with the lovebird aviary would make more sense from the animal’s perspective, as their current aviary does feel just a little too small.
Beyond the aforementioned empty enclosure is an enclosure for a group of Yellow-breasted Capuchin. Lovely and very active animals, but of all the cages of Shaldon, this felt the most underwhelming - a little small, even for just three animals, and very bare. The nearby Margay enclosure, however, is a triumph. Decently common in British zoos, but even still, they never fail to evade me, with the best sighting that I have ever got of one being a pair of ears poking out of a nesting box at Exmoor. As such, seeing the male perched on top of said nesting box in plain view, and the female just about visible in the far end of her enclosure (which is inconveniently seen only in the background of the male enclosure) was a delight. Shaldon has bred this species no less than four times since their first such success in 2017, and they even added to that very recently, although unfortunately, it was since my last visit, and as such I had no luck seeing the kitten. Of the three Margay enclosures that I have seen, this is by far my favourite, with a pair of very spacious enclosures, a sizable onshow indoor area, decent vegetation and, most notably, a nocturnal feeder, in which leftovers from their meal is placed and dispensed at regular intervals throughout the night, to reflect the fact that this is a nocturnal species in the wild. Not only is this a practice which I have never seen before, but it suggests that Shaldon gives their carnivores access to outdoor access at night, which from my experience, is somewhat rare.
On that note, the boardwalk ends, as you instead arrive on a ground level pathway, suggesting that you have entered the older portion of the zoo. It begins with a Golden-headed Lion Tamarin cage, which with a lack of the wooden pillars seen in some of the newer ones, blends into the forest better than any other, and is a real treat as a result. Indeed, in the right lighting, it simply seems to vanish into the woodland. This species is very common in zoos, but very endangered in the wild, as are many other callitrichids, and the Shaldon Wildlife Trust performs incredibly extensive in situ conservation work with many of them in Brazil and Colombia, proof that the zoo’s slogan (‘the small zoo making a big difference’) is an accurate one. Opposite them is the zoo’s Red-ruffed Lemur enclosure, which can be fully circled, and as such offers many excellent viewing angles. However, as this is a decently large breeding group, this enclosure is starting to feel a little small, and particularly lacking in terms of height and climbing - as such, the zoo is currently constructing a new enclosure for this species, which would allow one of the other lemur species at the collection to move into this enclosure, and for a brand new species to move into their current enclosure. I probably shouldn’t speculate, but my money is on it either being a Crowned or Blue-eyed Black Lemur, as both are species that the zoo works with in the wild - obviously, I would much prefer the latter, as they are quite a rarity, but either would be lovely.
Looping around their enclosure, you pass one for Red-bellied Lemur. Much like the tamarins, this enclosure is so beautiful, and fades so seamlessly into the woodland. It's a very good size for the number of animals displayed, and the amount of vegetation is just lovely. It also gave the impression of being the largest of the zoo’s lemur enclosures, with a considerable portion to the left being hidden from visitor view, offering a very good amount of privacy. Another callitrichid that is common in captivity but rare in the wild is the Cotton-top Tamarin, who have two enclosures, one of which I believe held treeshrews back when they were a breeding group, as well as a very large indoor area for such a small species. Both enclosures are lovely, offering an excellent amount of height and vegetation, with viewing offered on multiple levels, yet again due to the extreme, sloping location of the zoo. The older part of the zoo has gravel pathways instead of wood, stairs instead of boardwalk, and many stone buildings - quite charming, in a way, but sadly, I can imagine it would be quite an inconvenience for disabled visitors, due to the abundance of stairs.
It is also surprisingly difficult to navigate for such a small zoo. Just beyond the tamarins, to the north of the ruffed lemur enclosure, is a pathway surrounded by foliage on all sides that I did not discover until right as I was about to leave the zoo. Both Ring-tailed Lemur and Pied Tamarin are held here, in enclosures that are somewhat small and bare by Shaldon’s standards, but in neither case truly awful - even still, it does seem likely that, from an animal welfare perspective, it will be the Ring-taileds, not the Red-bellieds, who will move into the Red-ruffed enclosure when they move elsewhere. Pied Tamarins are among the rarer callitrichids present in UK zoos, although that isn’t saying much, and as such, I was delighted to see them, especially given how good the zoo’s in situ conservation work with the species is.
Looping back towards the Cotton-top Tamarins, you begin a gradual descent back towards the zoo’s entrance building, and the lower portion of the zoo, on the way down, passing a Prevost’s Squirrel enclosure. One of the first exhibits in the UK to use overhead tunnels as a means to expand the animal’s space and offer a more thrilling visitor experience, it won an exhibit award in the nineties for that reason - Shaldon is one of the few British zoos to proudly display their BIAZA awards, and there are more which I will detail shortly. The main enclosure is also lovely, with plenty of vegetation and climbing - squirrels, perhaps more so than primates, make for entertaining species to watch in cages, with the sheer speed and elegance with which such small and odd-looking creatures climb always fascinating me. But far more exciting yet are the Owston’s Civet next door. When I visited, Shaldon was one of four European zoos to display the species, with all of them being in the UK - but with Thrigby’s last animal having sadly passed away, and Port Lympne’s having been moved behind-the-scenes, Shaldon is now one of just two European zoos, along with Newquay, where you can actually see the species.
As mentioned, staff are very friendly, and would happily give advice about seeing the civets. I spoke to one volunteer who said that, despite having volunteered at Shaldon for over six months, he hadn’t seen the civet once, but another keeper informed me that the male had become much braver as of late, and would venture outdoors as soon as food is placed in his enclosure, as opposed to waiting for visitors to leave. Feeding times vary from 3:30-4:30, but if you speak to the right person, you should be able to find out when it is during your visit, and in my case, it was 4:15. And indeed, at 4:15, a keeper placed food in the enclosure, and the civet ventured outdoors, while they explained to us several interesting features of the species, and explained how, since their arrival in 2010, the zoo has been attempting to breed the species, unfortunately to no effect. But even still, the impact which Shaldon is having on the conservation of this Endangered species is not to be understated, with the zoo supporting conservation projects for pangolins and civets in their native range of Vietnam, and, in 2013, sending one of their civets to a conservation centre there for eventual release. When they aren’t breeding, the female shares with the squirrels, although she rarely ventures outdoors while the squirrels are active, while the male has access to the main enclosure. The civet got its food, explored the enclosure for a few minutes, then ventured indoors for the remainder of the visit. Such a bizarre species, its prolonged face, streamline body and bizarre gate giving it one of the strangest builds of any animal which I have seen. Their enclosure is quite similar to the margay one in terms of climbing, vegetation and the presence of a nocturnal feeder, but has a slightly lesser area and greater height.
Another series of steps takes you past a decent but very unremarkable aviary for Blue-throated Conure, the latter in particular actually being a fairly nice species, and their aviary was of a decent size, as well as beautifully vegetated, but for some bizarre reason, it was very dimly lit, contrasting with the bold colours of this diurnal bird. Down the stairs, the Azara’s Agouti enclosure is fairly barren and a little small, but the wonderful viewing from many angles, and the presence of two very active animals, made this one of the most entertaining, and certainly one of the most photographer-friendly, enclosures in the zoo.
On that note, I had seen all of the outdoor offerings at Shaldon Zoo, but two indoor offerings remained - the Frog Room and the Nocturnal House.
Of the top of my head, the Frog Room is one of just two amphibian-devoted houses which I have personally seen, along with the Amphibian Ark at Paignton Zoo. Perhaps that isn’t an entirely fair description, considering that there are two reptiles and three invertebrates (I sadly don’t recall the species for the latter, although there were giant land snails) in the building, but as they make up the majority of the species, extensive signage detailing the zoo’s work with amphibians, and the signs on the door labelling it as ‘Frog Room,’ this feels like a fair description to me. I love amphibians, and always wish that they were more common in zoos, so being surrounded by so many species of frogs, including some real rarities, was a treat, but it was very saddening to read about the threats that amphibians face and how many of this species are very endangered. The following species were signed:
Bicolored Poison Dart Frog
Blue Poison Dart Frog
Golden Poison Frog
Lemur Leaf Frog
Marañon Poison Dart Frog
Phantasmal Poison Dart Frog + Yellow-headed Day Gecko
Savu Python
Trinidad Stream Frog + William’s Electric Blue Gecko
Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog
The Lemur Leaf Frogs were the highlight for me. Such a strange species, miraculously able to hang underneath leaves and not weigh it down in the slightest, simply by spreading out their mass, becoming abnormally thin and clinging on with ease, but when in motion, able to spread out, and reveal their other most notable feature - huge, wide eyes, with jet black pupils and borders. Their clinging ability was even more impressive in person, upon realising how surprisingly large they were. Trinidad Stream Frogs are a UK speciality of sorts, very common within the country, but next to non-existent in other European nations - as such, I have seen them before, and have fond memories of searching for them in large, open exhibits, such as Chester’s Butterfly House, but seeing them up-close in a terrarium was unique. The Bicolored Frog was also a lifetick, and although they aren’t an amphibian, the Savu Python was as well, a lovely snake and quite a rarity.
The Nocturnal House is part of the main visitor building, and as such, sunlight pours in from the gift shop and the ticket booth nearby. While this does somewhat ruin the nocturnal immersion of the place, it is rather charming, giving the impression of a warm and homely zoo, which is indeed what Shaldon is. Sadly, the highlight of this building, the Bengal Slow Loris, passed away mere days after my visit. When I visited Monkey World in 2019, I looked forward to seeing this species very much, so was quite upset to see that they rotate with douroucoulis between an onshow and offshow enclosure, and during my visit, it was the lorises’ turn to be behind the scenes. In the time since then, this species had become much rarer in captivity, so I was more desperate than ever to see one, and was delighted when I saw Tina, the zoo’s last Bengal Slow Loris, resting on the branch in the centre of her enclosure - I was even more delighted when I returned later in the day to see her exploring her enclosure in its entirety. To my knowledge, her passing means that Monkey World and Ausgburg are now the only European zoos to display this lovely species, a real shame. As this species is common in the Exotic Pet Trade, animals are often smuggled overseas, confiscated, and then given a better home in European zoos, so hopefully, they will become more common in the future, with Shaldon no doubt keen on acquiring some more due to their history with the species, and excellent support of many slow loris conservation projects. Even still, the news of her death was heart-breaking, and made me very grateful to have seen her while I still had the chance.
With her passing, the Pygmy Slow Loris, of which the zoo has two groups, can now both go on-display at once, inhabiting her former enclosure, which is the largest in the building. This leaves their former enclosure empty for a new species to arrive in the near future. There are also Grey Slender Loris, sharing with the aforementioned Three-banded Armadillo. It was lovely to be surrounded by three lorises at once (although, of course, this is something that I am used to as a London Zoo regular), so it is a shame that this is now a thing of the past at Shaldon. There is also a scorpion and stick insect species, with the latter having bred fairly recently, but sadly, I don’t recall the exact species.
So, we departed through the gift shop, purchasing a civet fridge magnet on the way out, as I don’t know of any other zoo that sells Owston’s Civet merchandise. Shaldon’s charm, resourcefulness and conservation emphasis made it one of the most delightful small zoos that I have ever visited, and it is probably my sixth favourite UK zoo, ahead of London, Paignton and Colchester, but just behind Exmoor and Cotswold. I strongly recommend a visit to any British zoo enthusiast who hasn’t already visited, and while travellers from other countries should prioritise larger zoos, I would still suggest a visit to them should they find the time. It is just such a lovely place, and I cannot wait to return.
Date of Visit: 30th July
Location: Shaldon, Devon, England
Target Species: Owston's Civet, Bengal Slow Loris, Lemur Leaf Frog
Situated on a forested cliff face that overlooks the English Channel, Shaldon Zoo is one of a plethora of tiny British zoos. Even with a new extension in 2009, this zoo still barely even covers an acre, and is certainly not where you would go to find one of the nation’s finest zoological institutions. And while in breadth, comprehensiveness or ambition, it does not come close, in terms of its achievements, impact and intangible charm, Shaldon arguably punches above its weight more so than any other zoo in the nation. Founded in 1964 by Ken Smith, a close friend and former travelling companion of the world-famous Gerald Durrell who, at one point, was chosen to supervise his zoo in Jersey while Durrell was travelling, Shaldon was one of four smaller children’s zoo that Smith founded along the South Coast after falling out with his companion. When Smith left in 1970, the other three zoos (at Exmouth, Newquay and Poole) all closed shortly afterwards, but with the arrival of Mike Moore and Stuart Muir, two former keepers of London Zoo, Shaldon managed to avoid extinction, and began to focus on smaller, but very endangered species. Coupled with enormous contributions to in situ conservation projects (certainly far more than what you can reasonably expect for a zoo of its size), this made the local community fall in love with their zoo, and it was that support which helped it cling on to existence. In 1984, they became the Shaldon Wildlife Trust, a non-profit conservation charity. Officially, the organisation is ‘Shaldon Wildlife Trust,’ and the institution is ‘Shaldon Zoo,’ but the two names are used interchangeably. Moore left in 1994 and Muir in 2003, but their impact on the zoo can still be felt to this day.
The truth is, that I fell in love with Shaldon Zoo. I don’t believe that I have ever felt such a strong admiration or love for a zoo in ages, perhaps not even since my first visit to Whipsnade in 2013. It is a collection that I certainly hope, and plan, to visit again in the near future. As such, even though this is a small collection, this review will be thorough, and very positive.
The first thing to note about Shaldon Zoo is that, so long as you keep your ticket receipt, you can enter the collection once, then leave and re-enter as many times as you like throughout the day. This is pleasant, as the zoo’s location is beautiful. Shaldon is a charming and pleasant village in and of itself, but the much larger town of Teignmouth, separated by the Teign estuary, is equally lovely and worth a wonder. Alternatively, the Southwest Coast path has many lovely pathways behind the zoo, which run from the cliff immediately behind the zoo down to Labrador Bay, an RSPB reserve. There are many coves and beaches nearby, many of which feature the red rocks and cliff-faces which are so prominent throughout the county of Devon. Among them is Ness Cove beach, hidden from the rest of the world by the cliff upon which the zoo can be found, and accessed only by an ancient underground tunnel, once used to transport limestone to a kiln right beside the zoo’s entrance. The area immediately around the zoo is filled with other delights, such as viewing platforms and fish ponds, while the zoo’s lack of a cafe or bathroom is made up for by the presence of both immediately next door. The former is expensive, but the food is lovely, and the views even more so. I would strongly suggest arriving relatively early in the morning, querying the very friendly keepers as to whether or not species of interest have public feeding times (your best chance of seeing some of the more elusive ones) and if so when, quickly exploring the zoo, leaving for lunch, tea, a beach day or a village tour, then returning at the times given for a final few circuits of the collection. Alternatively, if you have less interest in rare species, and are fast paced when it comes to visiting zoos, then perhaps you could tie this in with other nearby collections of note, such as the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, Dartmoor Zoo in Sparkwell, or, of course, Paignton Zoo.
The zoo itself now begins by introducing you to the newer extension (a misleading name, given that it is fourteen years old now, but it still looks and feels very young). The entire thing consists of a lovely wooden boardwalk through the forest. Mature trees, with sunlight occasionally peering through, illuminating the place and disguising the thin mesh from certain angles, makes for a delightful setting. The first enclosure seen is one for Pygmy Marmoset and Golden Lion Tamarin. Their indoor area was a simple, box-like structure, although with a much more generous amount of leaves than what is often seen in callitrichid enclosures, while the outdoor area was even more delightful. Like with all of the enclosures in the new extension, it is very tall, going right down to the forest floor, below the boardwalk, with the viewing angles offering the inhabitants privacy, but also far above. I am a firm believer in the excellence of cage-like primate enclosures, as they do well to offer the animals ample climbing, and thus enrichment, when done well. But when done poorly, they are essentially prison cells. Thankfully, all of the cages at Shaldon are excellent, aesthetically pleasing thanks to the plants and lighting, covered in enrichment and logs to offer better enrichment, and quite large. This one in particular was a treat, as it marked the first time in which I ever recall seeing two different species of primate grooming each other, something which was made more special by the comical size difference between these two species.
Just beyond this enclosure was the Coppery Titi enclosure. It was identical in many ways, but far larger, and offered slightly less privacy, both results of the species in question being considerably larger. It turned out that they actually shared their indoor enclosure with a Three-banded Armadillo, who could occasionally be seen running between the various dens which their enclosure offered. They were unsigned, but locals informed me that they were not a new addition, but could rarely be seen, and the individual in the Nocturnal House (on which more will be covered shortly) is, by contrast, much more active. I liked the titi cage, but it was hardly outstanding.
On the opposite side of the boardwalk, the ground, a result of the zoo being a cliff face, had been raised so much that, at one point, a small ledge was formed that is almost level with the walkway. It appeared to simply be an empty natural feature, until I realised that the rock in the centre was actually a Yellow-footed Tortoise, and that this was but an excellent example of a zoo creating enclosures that blend into their environment well. Their indoor area was far less natural, but still very good for the inhabitants, and a mist effect within the enclosure is a nice touch. The nearby Northern White-faced Scops-Owl is somewhat barren, barring a few logs, and (although this may be intentional, due to the nocturnal nature of the inhabitants) dimly lit thanks to a tarpaulin over the top, but it is very spacious, especially considering how small owl aviaries often are in zoos, and how little space Shaldon has at their disposal. A very large empty cage is just around the corner, which I believe, at one point, held a mix of douroucouli, treeshrew and chevrotain. It is a shame that it is now empty, as the latter in particular is a lovely, but increasingly rare, species. Only the treeshrew remain, elsewhere in the zoo, but I was informed elsewhere on this site that they are sadly destined to depart the collection as well fairly soon.
The zoo’s Binturong cage is nearby. Another animal which can be excellently displayed in a cage if the cage is well-designed, this is perhaps the best cage-like enclosure that I have ever seen for them along with the aforementioned one at Cotswold. The multi-level viewing (from here, and from elsewhere in the zoo, by which time the boardwalk has raised considerably) helps, as does the sheer height of it all. The number of platforms and logs stationed was so impressive that it created the illusion of multiple levels, and it was very well-planted as well. Perhaps my favourite of the cage-like setups at Shaldon, however, was the South American Squirrel Monkey enclosure. It may well be the largest cage that I have ever seen for them, with phenomenal height, actually becoming taller as the enclosure stretches back thanks to the sloping terrain of the zoo, and it probably offers more climbing and space than what many zoos offer for the closely related, but considerably larger, capuchin. Another trend at Shaldon was that cages weren’t seen as an excuse to give up on naturalism altogether, with many cages being abnormally well-vegetated, some featuring live trees that grow up through the centre, and others having their floor completely disguised by plants.
The squirrel monkeys access their indoor area by tunnels under the visitor pathway, which lead to a well-lit, spacious, but simplistic house. It is part of a larger building of sorts, the visitor’s area of which has a roof for shelter, but is open on all other sides. The most noteworthy feature of this building, however, is the nocturnal enclosure for Brush-tailed Bettong and Grey Mouse Lemur, two species that, prior to this trip, were long-overdue lifeticks of sorts, in that they are decently common in captivity, and yet I had never seen them in person. I managed to tick off the lemurs three days prior at Cotswold, which was thankful, as they were the only species in the entirety of Shaldon Zoo which I didn’t see during my visit, but the bettong did mark a lifetick. I checked in on their enclosure, lit by red light, but appearing to be sizable, on several occasions throughout the day, and during all of them, there was at least one bettong to be seen leaping about, but not a single mouse lemur. The amount of branches, many of which covered in leaves for privacy, which said species had access to around the top of the enclosure, was very impressive indeed. It's a very nice enclosure, but one flaw is that it can only be seen through very small windows, so as to prevent natural sunlight from peering in - thankfully, there weren’t enough crowds to make this a problem, but I can imagine how frustrating this would be on busier days.
You then turn a corner, and arrive at the Meerkat enclosure, which, like just about every enclosure for this species, is barren and unimaginative, with some decent rockwork and occasional shrubbery being all that there is of note, however this was definitely among the larger meerkat enclosures which I have personally seen. The aforementioned upper view of the binturong was nearby, as was their onshow indoor area, if memory serves, part of the same building as the bettongs. Opposite them, a large structure made of wood and wire consisted of two separate enclosures, one for Black-cheeked Lovebird and the other for Belanger’s Treeshrew. As mentioned earlier, the latter is due to leave the collection, a real shame, as although decently common both in captivity and in the wild, most of their holders are relatively small and obscure zoos, so I rarely see them, and Shaldon had by far the most active individual of this species that I have ever seen, venturing outdoors in the mid afternoon, and performing many laps of their enclosure in the sunlight. Both the lovebird and treeshrew enclosures are very narrow, but make up for it by being extremely tall. The lovebirds also had a decently large indoor area, seen from a boardwalk behind the meerkats, but sadly the one for the treeshrews is offshow. When the treeshrews depart, I cannot help but hope for a new species, but I think combining it with the lovebird aviary would make more sense from the animal’s perspective, as their current aviary does feel just a little too small.
Beyond the aforementioned empty enclosure is an enclosure for a group of Yellow-breasted Capuchin. Lovely and very active animals, but of all the cages of Shaldon, this felt the most underwhelming - a little small, even for just three animals, and very bare. The nearby Margay enclosure, however, is a triumph. Decently common in British zoos, but even still, they never fail to evade me, with the best sighting that I have ever got of one being a pair of ears poking out of a nesting box at Exmoor. As such, seeing the male perched on top of said nesting box in plain view, and the female just about visible in the far end of her enclosure (which is inconveniently seen only in the background of the male enclosure) was a delight. Shaldon has bred this species no less than four times since their first such success in 2017, and they even added to that very recently, although unfortunately, it was since my last visit, and as such I had no luck seeing the kitten. Of the three Margay enclosures that I have seen, this is by far my favourite, with a pair of very spacious enclosures, a sizable onshow indoor area, decent vegetation and, most notably, a nocturnal feeder, in which leftovers from their meal is placed and dispensed at regular intervals throughout the night, to reflect the fact that this is a nocturnal species in the wild. Not only is this a practice which I have never seen before, but it suggests that Shaldon gives their carnivores access to outdoor access at night, which from my experience, is somewhat rare.
On that note, the boardwalk ends, as you instead arrive on a ground level pathway, suggesting that you have entered the older portion of the zoo. It begins with a Golden-headed Lion Tamarin cage, which with a lack of the wooden pillars seen in some of the newer ones, blends into the forest better than any other, and is a real treat as a result. Indeed, in the right lighting, it simply seems to vanish into the woodland. This species is very common in zoos, but very endangered in the wild, as are many other callitrichids, and the Shaldon Wildlife Trust performs incredibly extensive in situ conservation work with many of them in Brazil and Colombia, proof that the zoo’s slogan (‘the small zoo making a big difference’) is an accurate one. Opposite them is the zoo’s Red-ruffed Lemur enclosure, which can be fully circled, and as such offers many excellent viewing angles. However, as this is a decently large breeding group, this enclosure is starting to feel a little small, and particularly lacking in terms of height and climbing - as such, the zoo is currently constructing a new enclosure for this species, which would allow one of the other lemur species at the collection to move into this enclosure, and for a brand new species to move into their current enclosure. I probably shouldn’t speculate, but my money is on it either being a Crowned or Blue-eyed Black Lemur, as both are species that the zoo works with in the wild - obviously, I would much prefer the latter, as they are quite a rarity, but either would be lovely.
Looping around their enclosure, you pass one for Red-bellied Lemur. Much like the tamarins, this enclosure is so beautiful, and fades so seamlessly into the woodland. It's a very good size for the number of animals displayed, and the amount of vegetation is just lovely. It also gave the impression of being the largest of the zoo’s lemur enclosures, with a considerable portion to the left being hidden from visitor view, offering a very good amount of privacy. Another callitrichid that is common in captivity but rare in the wild is the Cotton-top Tamarin, who have two enclosures, one of which I believe held treeshrews back when they were a breeding group, as well as a very large indoor area for such a small species. Both enclosures are lovely, offering an excellent amount of height and vegetation, with viewing offered on multiple levels, yet again due to the extreme, sloping location of the zoo. The older part of the zoo has gravel pathways instead of wood, stairs instead of boardwalk, and many stone buildings - quite charming, in a way, but sadly, I can imagine it would be quite an inconvenience for disabled visitors, due to the abundance of stairs.
It is also surprisingly difficult to navigate for such a small zoo. Just beyond the tamarins, to the north of the ruffed lemur enclosure, is a pathway surrounded by foliage on all sides that I did not discover until right as I was about to leave the zoo. Both Ring-tailed Lemur and Pied Tamarin are held here, in enclosures that are somewhat small and bare by Shaldon’s standards, but in neither case truly awful - even still, it does seem likely that, from an animal welfare perspective, it will be the Ring-taileds, not the Red-bellieds, who will move into the Red-ruffed enclosure when they move elsewhere. Pied Tamarins are among the rarer callitrichids present in UK zoos, although that isn’t saying much, and as such, I was delighted to see them, especially given how good the zoo’s in situ conservation work with the species is.
Looping back towards the Cotton-top Tamarins, you begin a gradual descent back towards the zoo’s entrance building, and the lower portion of the zoo, on the way down, passing a Prevost’s Squirrel enclosure. One of the first exhibits in the UK to use overhead tunnels as a means to expand the animal’s space and offer a more thrilling visitor experience, it won an exhibit award in the nineties for that reason - Shaldon is one of the few British zoos to proudly display their BIAZA awards, and there are more which I will detail shortly. The main enclosure is also lovely, with plenty of vegetation and climbing - squirrels, perhaps more so than primates, make for entertaining species to watch in cages, with the sheer speed and elegance with which such small and odd-looking creatures climb always fascinating me. But far more exciting yet are the Owston’s Civet next door. When I visited, Shaldon was one of four European zoos to display the species, with all of them being in the UK - but with Thrigby’s last animal having sadly passed away, and Port Lympne’s having been moved behind-the-scenes, Shaldon is now one of just two European zoos, along with Newquay, where you can actually see the species.
As mentioned, staff are very friendly, and would happily give advice about seeing the civets. I spoke to one volunteer who said that, despite having volunteered at Shaldon for over six months, he hadn’t seen the civet once, but another keeper informed me that the male had become much braver as of late, and would venture outdoors as soon as food is placed in his enclosure, as opposed to waiting for visitors to leave. Feeding times vary from 3:30-4:30, but if you speak to the right person, you should be able to find out when it is during your visit, and in my case, it was 4:15. And indeed, at 4:15, a keeper placed food in the enclosure, and the civet ventured outdoors, while they explained to us several interesting features of the species, and explained how, since their arrival in 2010, the zoo has been attempting to breed the species, unfortunately to no effect. But even still, the impact which Shaldon is having on the conservation of this Endangered species is not to be understated, with the zoo supporting conservation projects for pangolins and civets in their native range of Vietnam, and, in 2013, sending one of their civets to a conservation centre there for eventual release. When they aren’t breeding, the female shares with the squirrels, although she rarely ventures outdoors while the squirrels are active, while the male has access to the main enclosure. The civet got its food, explored the enclosure for a few minutes, then ventured indoors for the remainder of the visit. Such a bizarre species, its prolonged face, streamline body and bizarre gate giving it one of the strangest builds of any animal which I have seen. Their enclosure is quite similar to the margay one in terms of climbing, vegetation and the presence of a nocturnal feeder, but has a slightly lesser area and greater height.
Another series of steps takes you past a decent but very unremarkable aviary for Blue-throated Conure, the latter in particular actually being a fairly nice species, and their aviary was of a decent size, as well as beautifully vegetated, but for some bizarre reason, it was very dimly lit, contrasting with the bold colours of this diurnal bird. Down the stairs, the Azara’s Agouti enclosure is fairly barren and a little small, but the wonderful viewing from many angles, and the presence of two very active animals, made this one of the most entertaining, and certainly one of the most photographer-friendly, enclosures in the zoo.
On that note, I had seen all of the outdoor offerings at Shaldon Zoo, but two indoor offerings remained - the Frog Room and the Nocturnal House.
Of the top of my head, the Frog Room is one of just two amphibian-devoted houses which I have personally seen, along with the Amphibian Ark at Paignton Zoo. Perhaps that isn’t an entirely fair description, considering that there are two reptiles and three invertebrates (I sadly don’t recall the species for the latter, although there were giant land snails) in the building, but as they make up the majority of the species, extensive signage detailing the zoo’s work with amphibians, and the signs on the door labelling it as ‘Frog Room,’ this feels like a fair description to me. I love amphibians, and always wish that they were more common in zoos, so being surrounded by so many species of frogs, including some real rarities, was a treat, but it was very saddening to read about the threats that amphibians face and how many of this species are very endangered. The following species were signed:
Bicolored Poison Dart Frog
Blue Poison Dart Frog
Golden Poison Frog
Lemur Leaf Frog
Marañon Poison Dart Frog
Phantasmal Poison Dart Frog + Yellow-headed Day Gecko
Savu Python
Trinidad Stream Frog + William’s Electric Blue Gecko
Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog
The Lemur Leaf Frogs were the highlight for me. Such a strange species, miraculously able to hang underneath leaves and not weigh it down in the slightest, simply by spreading out their mass, becoming abnormally thin and clinging on with ease, but when in motion, able to spread out, and reveal their other most notable feature - huge, wide eyes, with jet black pupils and borders. Their clinging ability was even more impressive in person, upon realising how surprisingly large they were. Trinidad Stream Frogs are a UK speciality of sorts, very common within the country, but next to non-existent in other European nations - as such, I have seen them before, and have fond memories of searching for them in large, open exhibits, such as Chester’s Butterfly House, but seeing them up-close in a terrarium was unique. The Bicolored Frog was also a lifetick, and although they aren’t an amphibian, the Savu Python was as well, a lovely snake and quite a rarity.
The Nocturnal House is part of the main visitor building, and as such, sunlight pours in from the gift shop and the ticket booth nearby. While this does somewhat ruin the nocturnal immersion of the place, it is rather charming, giving the impression of a warm and homely zoo, which is indeed what Shaldon is. Sadly, the highlight of this building, the Bengal Slow Loris, passed away mere days after my visit. When I visited Monkey World in 2019, I looked forward to seeing this species very much, so was quite upset to see that they rotate with douroucoulis between an onshow and offshow enclosure, and during my visit, it was the lorises’ turn to be behind the scenes. In the time since then, this species had become much rarer in captivity, so I was more desperate than ever to see one, and was delighted when I saw Tina, the zoo’s last Bengal Slow Loris, resting on the branch in the centre of her enclosure - I was even more delighted when I returned later in the day to see her exploring her enclosure in its entirety. To my knowledge, her passing means that Monkey World and Ausgburg are now the only European zoos to display this lovely species, a real shame. As this species is common in the Exotic Pet Trade, animals are often smuggled overseas, confiscated, and then given a better home in European zoos, so hopefully, they will become more common in the future, with Shaldon no doubt keen on acquiring some more due to their history with the species, and excellent support of many slow loris conservation projects. Even still, the news of her death was heart-breaking, and made me very grateful to have seen her while I still had the chance.
With her passing, the Pygmy Slow Loris, of which the zoo has two groups, can now both go on-display at once, inhabiting her former enclosure, which is the largest in the building. This leaves their former enclosure empty for a new species to arrive in the near future. There are also Grey Slender Loris, sharing with the aforementioned Three-banded Armadillo. It was lovely to be surrounded by three lorises at once (although, of course, this is something that I am used to as a London Zoo regular), so it is a shame that this is now a thing of the past at Shaldon. There is also a scorpion and stick insect species, with the latter having bred fairly recently, but sadly, I don’t recall the exact species.
So, we departed through the gift shop, purchasing a civet fridge magnet on the way out, as I don’t know of any other zoo that sells Owston’s Civet merchandise. Shaldon’s charm, resourcefulness and conservation emphasis made it one of the most delightful small zoos that I have ever visited, and it is probably my sixth favourite UK zoo, ahead of London, Paignton and Colchester, but just behind Exmoor and Cotswold. I strongly recommend a visit to any British zoo enthusiast who hasn’t already visited, and while travellers from other countries should prioritise larger zoos, I would still suggest a visit to them should they find the time. It is just such a lovely place, and I cannot wait to return.