Gigit
Well-Known Member
See messages #471 and #477 above. Fabi only died yesterday so it's a bit soon to expect changes, although the zoo no doubt has plans for the future. Shakira is still at the zoo.
Paignton Zoo Paignton News 2020
- Thread starter Brum
- Start date
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
@Gigit Shakira must be the oldest Sumatran Tiger in the UK! I think that Paignton should keep Lucu and bring in a new breeding mate for him. I say this as Shakira is now too elderly to have further Cubs whereas Luchu is the prime age for having Cubs!
Hedgehog - no doubt you’re right, but Gigit is not the curator (though Gigit would I’m sure be very good at it!). I can assure you that PZ tigers will return. Relax & don’t expect too much movement imminently at PZ. I’ve been guilty of trying to predict moves & exchange’s and got it all terribly wrong too many times. Take care.
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
I very much hope that 2021 is the year Paignton Zoo,replenishes the animals they have sadly lost. I expect 2021 to be the year that a breeding Bull Giraffe arrives,Asiatic Lion arrives to pair up with Yali or Arya,new Bactrian Camels arrive,more Bongos come,a new girlfriend arrives to resume the Sumatran Tiger breeding program with Luchu and finally the Giraffes relocated to Dutchess’s former enclosure and the Heartmans Zebras are moved to the Giraffe house.
I don’t know about you my fellow Zoochatter’s but this is my dream for 2021 at Paignton Zoo. Do you agree with me?
I don’t know about you my fellow Zoochatter’s but this is my dream for 2021 at Paignton Zoo. Do you agree with me?
Gigit
Well-Known Member
I hope that the zoo still exists in 2021, anything else would be a bonus. From a very personal point of view, my dream would be that the zoo decides to keep orangs Mali and Tatty and move Chinta and Natty instead.
My ‘dream’ scenario would be that the zoo survives, without selling any land and without making any more redundancies. I also hope that the zoo is re-stocked to avoid the situation of tourists & locals not paying for return visits or based on negative reviews about empty enclosures & the lack of animals. Fingers crossed.
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
@Gigit why would you rather Chinta and Nataliya leave Paington for Colchester than Mali and Tatu? Also is there anything I can do to enable Paington Zoo to still exist in 2021 and beyond? I love Paington Zoo so I would happily do my bit to secure its future infinitely. In my head I am trying to think up ways of how I can fundraise for Paington Zoo. @Gigit and @Pertinax can you please give me some suggestions bearing in mind that I have poor health and many disabilities? When I think of Paington Zoo at the moment the song I'd do anything from the musical Oliver Twist blasts through me as I'd very literally do anything for my beloved Paington Zoo. When Dartmoor Zoo were experiencing financial difficulties earlier this year I donated a bit of money. Due to the generosity of myself and many others Dartmoor Zoo is now financially stable. Due to Paington Zoo being larger than Dartmoor Zoo I feel the duty to do extra fundraising. The fact that Dartmoor Zoo has returned from the brink of perminent closure has inspired me to give money to Paington Zoo so that it also.returns from the brink of closure.
Gigit
Well-Known Member
Mali and Tatty are my favourite orangs for many reasons. I feel Chinta and Natty, with their more sedentary ways, would be better suited to life at Colchester, whereas Mali and Tatty will really miss PZ's islands. Also, Mali and Tatty are related to Tiga so aren't going there to breed but presumably to be held till somewhere suitable becomes available. Chinta and Natty could breed with him and stay there, but presumably this isn't part of the studbook keeper's plan.
I don't know anything about fundraising. Maybe you should contact the zoo.
This really grinds my gears. Go to any zoo and I’ll guarantee you’ll hear someone moaning about this. What do they want? Enclosures that have a legitimate reason to be empty or an animal confined to a pit slowly going mad? Either way, they’ll still gripe. The average zoo visitor just doesn’t see the wider picture.
I guarantee they’ll still be whining if (God forbid) Paignton were to close because “there’s nowhere to take little Freddie anymore.”
I agree with your sentiment & I’m mostly with you in principle, but, if you’re not a member & you’re forking out £100+ for a family day out, most will feel let down if they witness too many empty exhibits. However, I think PZ management could be creative in the way they can educate/coach average ‘Joe’ visitor to locate hard to spot animals in the foliage - classic examples at PZ are Pileated Gibbons, Snapping turtles, Takin, Cassowary & Nguru Pygmy Chameleons.
@The Hedgehog I know we haven't always agreed on certain issues(on more than one occasion) however I do have to applaud your optimism and enthusiasm to help Paignton. I myself donated to 2 zoos(1 local one up north) keep up the good work and see if there's any fundraising ideas online? Just remember the simple thing that Captain Tom did months ago it doesn't have to be extravagant. Good luck
At the moment, for reasons explained earlier in this Forum, Paignton has an unusually large number of enclosures which are either completely empty or contain just one animal (for example, just a single Asian lioness has been on show, because their only other lion is her full brother - as both may be needed for the breeding programme eventually, contraception woud be unwise). Likewise before Covid struck, the zoo's largest indoor exhibit was damaged by a storm and has been closed since while the roof is replaced. The Covid situation has prevented or at least slowed the movement of animals to and from the zoo, and must have affected the reroofing of Reptile Troics and the Desert House. I do like Paignton and I renewed my membership after lockdown, but it's been some time since I visited because there is just not much to see at the moment.
Last edited:
Drago
Well-Known Member
I've been visiting Paignton pretty much monthly since the end of 2012 and likewise Exmoor Zoo. Sadly Paignton has gone downhill whilst Exmoor has improved. Whilst the membership of course will go up yearly for inflation reasons etc. But whilst Exmoor is a few quid more yearly it's we've now got Wolves, golden cats, Lynx, many birds, hunting dogs, ringtails, African civets, wolverine (soon), more cheetahs, bush dogs, new improved enclosures. Basically it's expanding and exciting to visit each time.
Paignton however - barely any positive changes since I've been there, hardly any new enclosures, some work carried out but stalled Badger field cleared and left to grow over. Maned Wolves enclosure about 95% done by looks of it just the house to do up. But it's been like this for months now - looks like the workers walked off and left it unfinished. Tropical/desert house closed due to damage for months. Buildings demolished and replaced with play parks. The only new things they build annually are blooming play parks! Empty, or near empty enclosures. Frequent news of deaths the lechwe, turs, Indu, Maliya, Fabi, Duchess, Lucifer to name a few. There are plenty of reviews on tripadvisor complaining about empty enclosures and I can see why people are angry. Paignton is £20.45 per adult vs Exmoor £15.95. At least Exmoor you constantly pass enclosures with animals within and there's frequent activities, talks and handling sessions. Paignton is just feeling dead, it's sad to see how one far it's gone downhill whilst Exmoor is rocketing skywards. Another thing is Paignton Zoo has slapped it's founder in the face with this pointless name change and rebranding when there's more pressing issues at hand. All staff in shiny new uniforms? Why not spend the money on improving/adding enclosures? Or are play areas more vital? Paignton Zoo was one of the first Zoo's to focus on education rather than just a place to gawp at exotic animals, The signage/information boards are as basic as possible.
I don't want to sound to negative, but I really do want the Zoo to prosper and be like it was years ago. But at present it does feel like it could go under if things don't improve...
Paignton however - barely any positive changes since I've been there, hardly any new enclosures, some work carried out but stalled Badger field cleared and left to grow over. Maned Wolves enclosure about 95% done by looks of it just the house to do up. But it's been like this for months now - looks like the workers walked off and left it unfinished. Tropical/desert house closed due to damage for months. Buildings demolished and replaced with play parks. The only new things they build annually are blooming play parks! Empty, or near empty enclosures. Frequent news of deaths the lechwe, turs, Indu, Maliya, Fabi, Duchess, Lucifer to name a few. There are plenty of reviews on tripadvisor complaining about empty enclosures and I can see why people are angry. Paignton is £20.45 per adult vs Exmoor £15.95. At least Exmoor you constantly pass enclosures with animals within and there's frequent activities, talks and handling sessions. Paignton is just feeling dead, it's sad to see how one far it's gone downhill whilst Exmoor is rocketing skywards. Another thing is Paignton Zoo has slapped it's founder in the face with this pointless name change and rebranding when there's more pressing issues at hand. All staff in shiny new uniforms? Why not spend the money on improving/adding enclosures? Or are play areas more vital? Paignton Zoo was one of the first Zoo's to focus on education rather than just a place to gawp at exotic animals, The signage/information boards are as basic as possible.
I don't want to sound to negative, but I really do want the Zoo to prosper and be like it was years ago. But at present it does feel like it could go under if things don't improve...
News to me?
They haven't had Golden Cat for several years now, alas!
Drago
Well-Known Member
Well no but they did during the time period of 2013 to now. The African Civets are there now. Before it was the Ocelot. Though they were hoping to get a bobcat in there (I spoke with the head keeper) not long ago, but that didn't come true.
Totally agree with the comment re Herbert Whitley
Which isn't the same as saying "we've now got.... golden cats" at all
for the record, they held the species from 2014 until 2017, so the species has been absent from the collection for about as long as they were present, if not longer.
We visited Paignton zoo last month and while we have always loved the zoo and had a good day out, there is no getting away from the fact there are a LOT of empty enclosures, closed areas and / or single animals on show. It is a legitimate comment and I can see why people paying for a family day out would not be impressed. I can spend hours watching and photographing Tatty's antics but that is not what most visitors are looking for. We visited Exmoor on the same trip and it was teeming with life in comparison.
The other thing I noticed at Paignton is that they seem to be missing opportunities to show off what they do have. Where else can you see an Echidna? Why on earth does he not have signage on his outdoor enclosure so people know what they are looking at? I assume there is some information inside but as the building is closed that is not much use. We saw and overheard loads of people giving him barely a glance as he fed outside and walking off with a 'just a hedgehog / porcupine / other random animal' comment. Why is there no opportunity to view the Kiwi other than on a screen?
I also feel they need to educate their volunteers a little better. The Ape house opened late in the afternoon on our visit and the volunteer stationed inside was waxing lyrical about Damian Aspinall's antics in releasing gorillas into the wild etc. Given his anti zoo stance and the poor outcome of said releases I'm not sure it is something they should be 'educating' visitors in.
The other thing I noticed at Paignton is that they seem to be missing opportunities to show off what they do have. Where else can you see an Echidna? Why on earth does he not have signage on his outdoor enclosure so people know what they are looking at? I assume there is some information inside but as the building is closed that is not much use. We saw and overheard loads of people giving him barely a glance as he fed outside and walking off with a 'just a hedgehog / porcupine / other random animal' comment. Why is there no opportunity to view the Kiwi other than on a screen?
I also feel they need to educate their volunteers a little better. The Ape house opened late in the afternoon on our visit and the volunteer stationed inside was waxing lyrical about Damian Aspinall's antics in releasing gorillas into the wild etc. Given his anti zoo stance and the poor outcome of said releases I'm not sure it is something they should be 'educating' visitors in.
I agree about the Kiwi. A totally wasted opportunity exhibition-wise. Nowhere else in UK has one. Give it more prominence- a nocturnal-style exhibit (as in NZ 'Kiwi Houses') and big information boards about what amazing birds they are-'honorary mammals' etc, and visitors would be eagerly looking and searching to see it. Even if they failed, it will have piqued their interest which isn't being done at present. Such a wasted marketing opportunity. The Echidna is similar if it isn't properly marketed.
Last edited: