No announcements as yet, but Paignton have quietly updated their website to say that online booking will be open from 23rd June for dates up to two weeks in advance.
Paignton Zoo Updates
Paignton Zoo Updates
Paignton Zoo Paignton News 2020
- Thread starter Brum
- Start date
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
zoogiraffe is there a realistic chance that the Giraffe Tower will move to Duchess's former enclosure this year. Also I would have thought Paington Zoo would have been eager to start their Asiatic Lion breeding program. I hope Arya or Yali stay at Paington Zoo and a mate comes from another European holder of Asiatic Lions.
Also is Shakira the Sumatran Tigers still alive as if she is she is the eldest Sumatran Tigers in England and possibility even Europe.
Also is Shakira the Sumatran Tigers still alive as if she is she is the eldest Sumatran Tigers in England and possibility even Europe.
To put it a bit nicer, Paignton is struggling and are unsure whether they will be able to reopen. Moving animals around and bringing in new ones is not at the front of their minds at the moment. The zoo will have to be open for a while and gain the money back before they even consider of any new developments.
Shakira is alive. Dumai, born at Dudley in 2000 and currently living at Stuttgart, is the oldest Sumatran tiger in Europe.
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
@Rajang21 that's interesting. I hope Shakira lives at least another 3 years so she can hold the record of being the eldest Sumatran Tiger in Europe. As for you @zoogiraffe I apologise for antagonizing you I have problems with my short term memory and mild learning difficulties so sometimes I repeat myself more than once,trust me I didn't mean to cause any offence and I am sorry if I unintentionally upset you.
Personally I very much doubt that Paington Zoo will close for good. My reasoning behind my thoughts is that the other week Dartmoor Zoo was financially unstable but have since improved with regards to their money. Surely if a small family run enterprise like Dartmoor Zoo can conquer their money problems a major zoo with more money can definitely survive to tell the tale.
Personally I very much doubt that Paington Zoo will close for good. My reasoning behind my thoughts is that the other week Dartmoor Zoo was financially unstable but have since improved with regards to their money. Surely if a small family run enterprise like Dartmoor Zoo can conquer their money problems a major zoo with more money can definitely survive to tell the tale.
This is the "begging the question" fallacy - that is to say, taking it as read that Paignton does have more money at present and using this as the grounds for your assumption. It unfortunately seems like this may well *not* be the case.
Wild Planet Trust does also own Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve, and having glanced at the Annual Report for 2018, ~40% of its income comes from Rentals and I guess that a significant proportion comes from the Field Studies Council, which runs residential courses there (I enjoyed one there many years ago). Obviously those courses will be suspended at the moment, but Slapton is an asset and will still be a non-zoo source of income in the future.
Andrew Swales
Well-Known Member
I've been to Slapton Ley, and would have thought it should be pretty self-sustaining? - neither requiring great financial inputs from the trust/Paignton, but not contributing much to the latter, either..?
As CGSwans pointed out somewhere, in UK law a registered charity is legally not allowed to trade if insolvent. This is a pretty in-flexible area of charity law.
I think you're right. I was looking at the Wild Planet Trust Annual Report, not the Wild Planet Trust Consolidated Report which is the one that includes the income and expenditure of the zoos, which has much larger figures.
Gigit
Well-Known Member
Hurray! The zoo opened to pre-booked annual pass holders today. A lovely day for it. Everything is well organised, apart from the restaurant where we found ourselves going against the one way system because we didn't see the signs. I'm sure they'll iron out the wrinkles. The staff were all kitted out in their brand new navy blue WIld Planet emblazoned outfits.
Gorilla N'Dowe did a double take when we appeared, the first visitors to do so, and looked rather perplexed. Orangutan Tatty looked delighted to have an audience for her circus skills. The zebras are confined to the bottom part of their field which explains why we could never see them in the top part while on our walks behind the zoo. Carmel the camel must have died, as I suspected a few weeks ago. The maned wolf enclosure is still being worked on with scaffolding on the old house.
We didn't have a thorough look round as we were given a slot for the local tip today (of all days) so had to get home after dealing with our priorities, but we have another visit booked later in the week to look forward to.
Gorilla N'Dowe did a double take when we appeared, the first visitors to do so, and looked rather perplexed. Orangutan Tatty looked delighted to have an audience for her circus skills. The zebras are confined to the bottom part of their field which explains why we could never see them in the top part while on our walks behind the zoo. Carmel the camel must have died, as I suspected a few weeks ago. The maned wolf enclosure is still being worked on with scaffolding on the old house.
We didn't have a thorough look round as we were given a slot for the local tip today (of all days) so had to get home after dealing with our priorities, but we have another visit booked later in the week to look forward to.
I was just about to say, I just had a look at PZ's website and the camel page is no longer visible. So I'm guessing Carmel has passed away which now means there are no more camels at Paignton....
This is sad news to hear though I wonder if the Banteng are still due to arrive soon. And if so, will they be going into the ex-Camel paddock? The old takin area just does not seem that suitable for any bovid species IMO.
I had a wonderful afternoon there today. The staff have done an incredible job all round. I love the zoo when it’s all overgrown & I hope they can keep it like that for as long as possible. Unfortunately, they’ve lost some spider monkeys (down to 2), they still have a lone Bongo, only a male roadrunner now & I saw the Colobus at the top of the zoo still! However, there are loads of good Internal bird moves, the hogs have some foliage, the Maned Wolf exhibit is starting to look great, Monkey Heights outdoor runs were having an overhaul, Bruce was outside and in touching distance ( a brilliant use of that space), Takin looked great....., overall, very happy & I feel so privileged to call PZ my local!
The Mountain Zebra are being moved to the giraffe hard stand. This is a welfare issue mainly - for their feet. The giraffe are being moved 'next door' to the elephant enclosure (the gate between the paddocks is now closed as they are being left outside at night through the summer). The Banteng were supposedly moving to the current zebra paddock to be mixed with an asian antelope or deer species, but all this may have changed given the situation, plus, with one lone Bongo on the other side of the zoo, there may be an empty enclosure there too soon - though I'd love to see a thriving Bongo herd return! We will have to be patient.
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
@TriUK have Paignton go any plans for resuming thier Asiatic Lion breeding programme? Additionally is thier any news regarding the Sumatran Tigers as surely Lucu is long overdue regarding being moved to become a breeding male? Also do you have a timescale for the Giraffes moving into Dutchess’s former home and the Zebras morning into the current Giraffe enclosure. @Pertinax are there any plans for the Bachelor troop of Gorillas? I heard years ago that Paignton was used to house male Gorillas before they get moved to become a breeding Silverback.
There won’t be too many moves for a while. Paignton have some small off-show areas they can use to rotate their cats until transfers can be made. Before the giraffes can move next door they will have to move some of the steel works and re-do the sand flooring. The Gorilla group are all male & the studbook keeper will recommend any moves. The eldest, Pertinax, who is solitary will probably not move on now.
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
@TriUK personally I think that Paignton zoo are wasting breeding potential by keeping hold of Pertinax in solletry confinement. I think that Pertinax would be the perfect candidate to become Kumbuka’s successor as the breeding Silverback at London Zoo. I think this as Pertinax has twenty four years experience of living with,interacting and raising baby/young Gorillas. I would have thought London Zoo would have jumped at the chance of having Pertinax due to all the good Silverback qualities that he has. Not only this but surely the zoo would want a mellow and kind Silverback following the tragic fight nine years ago in which Kesho killed Tiny the seven month old baby gorilla.I say this as London Zoo’s Gorilla family currently includes two juvenile gorillas female Alika and male Gernot,and have stated that they do not want Alika or Gernot to meet the same fate that Tiny did.
In addition, @The Hedgehog, Paignton can’t be said to be wasting breeding potential, nor could London jump at the opportunity, as the decision to move Pertinax would ultimately rely on the recommendations of the EEP Coordinator.
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
@TriUK
TRIUk can you please estimate how long from now the Giraffes and Zebras will move into thier respective new homes? Is it realistic to expect the house moves to occur before Christmas? I hope that when the Giraffes move into Duchesses forever house Paignton brings in a new breeding male so that the Giraffe heard can once again breed. I presume that Otilie,Eliska and Johanna will remain with the Paignton giraffe heard and be the new males mates if and when he arrives. I hope that the Zebras moving kicks starts thier breeding programme and protects thier hooves from becoming deformed.
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Gigit
Well-Known Member
I visited again this morning and left feeling short-changed as the only great apes visible on the islands were keepers. One was on the small island cutting down the hoses and netting (I'll post a photo) and the other was on the large island doing something.
The two remaining brown spider monkeys are females so as well as losing the male, JR, they've also lost, I would guess by their ages, Luna (born 2006) or Sophie (born 1988). Sophie was the mother of Paru who was born in 2013, and whom I think I recognised.
Three pied tamarins are now in Naomi's ( the old grey gibbon) house, as well as the three in Monkey Heights.
The camel paddock is changing, with fencing between the yard and the grassy area being removed. As we noticed on our lockdown walks, one corner of the roof of the camel house is in a terrible state but I don't think Carmel had been using that end.
There is scaffolding on the Tropical House, which is of course closed along with the Desert House, Ape House, Tortoise House, Nocturnal House, Reptile Nursery and Ranch.
As @TriUK mentioned, everything is looking very lush.
Some more mutterings about the appropriateness of new uniforms all round at this particular time. It seemed busier today although there can't have been any more people in. Lots of those on Monday morning were small children in buggies so maybe not so noticeable.
The two remaining brown spider monkeys are females so as well as losing the male, JR, they've also lost, I would guess by their ages, Luna (born 2006) or Sophie (born 1988). Sophie was the mother of Paru who was born in 2013, and whom I think I recognised.
Three pied tamarins are now in Naomi's ( the old grey gibbon) house, as well as the three in Monkey Heights.
The camel paddock is changing, with fencing between the yard and the grassy area being removed. As we noticed on our lockdown walks, one corner of the roof of the camel house is in a terrible state but I don't think Carmel had been using that end.
There is scaffolding on the Tropical House, which is of course closed along with the Desert House, Ape House, Tortoise House, Nocturnal House, Reptile Nursery and Ranch.
As @TriUK mentioned, everything is looking very lush.
Some more mutterings about the appropriateness of new uniforms all round at this particular time. It seemed busier today although there can't have been any more people in. Lots of those on Monday morning were small children in buggies so maybe not so noticeable.