Kalaw
Well-Known Member
On the 7th July, I visited Paignton Zoo for the first time in six years, and decided to type up a review encompassing all my thoughts on the place. A little bit of personal context feels like an appropriate place to start.
As a child, I used to go on annual family holidays to Devon. Very often, these would include a zoo visit, and on three occasions, that zoo was Paignton. I discovered the place because of their Saltwater Crocodiles; as a child, crocodilians were my favourite animals, and realising that Paignton not only kept a Saltie, but also five species in total and Yellow Anacondas, was enough to catch my attention. What I wasn't expecting was for Paignton to outstand me as an overall zoo. If you were to ask me in six or seven years ago what the best zoo I had been to was, I would likely have told you it was a tie between Whipsnade and Paignton, although on some days I may have leant towards one or the other being the outright best I had seen. While I knew there were supposedly superior zoos out there, I couldn't believe that the gulf in quality between Paignton and a Berlin or a San Diego would be that big, because my young mind couldn't comprehend a zoo getting much better. That was until a week after my most recent (August 2019) Paignton visit, when a family holiday in France brought me to Beauval, which is in an entirely different playing field to anywhere in the UK that I had been to up until that time.
This new perspective (understanding that Paignton maybe isn't quite as world-class as I thought it was) was the first of several reasons that I was eager to visit. The next was simply that, being quite young when I last attended, I had forgotten quite a lot about the place. Another result of my young age at the time was that I didn't care much for rarities beyond crocodiles and echidnas, so there were a lot of very interesting species that I took somewhat for granted. The final reason is that, supposedly, a lot has changed, and not always for the better. Unfortunately, Paignton is widely recognised as being in a gradual state of decline, although 2025 has so far been a mostly positive year with the zoo, if not improving just yet, then at the very least stabilising. I was rather eager to see what is different, what is the same, and what is entirely gone.
Before even entering the zoo, you can see the flamingos. Like so many zoos, Paignton uses the colour and noise of these birds to guarantee a lively and attractive start to your day, although them being pinioned (or clipped) meant that for myself this was a little bit of a low note. You then walk through the zoo's very large entrance building, and onto a little boardwalk view of the flamingos. In my memory, this continued straight to 'Reptile Tropics,' but I actually had to walk down to the gibbon island (which appeared empty at first), and then loop right up to the restaurant only to double back on myself due to the one-way system of the rainforest-desert complex. I could be misremembering, but I'm sure this wasn't always the case, and it meant it was ages before I saw the first non-flamingo animal.
Started the day as I always used to - in 'Reptile Tropics,' now known as 'Tropics Trail.' A relatively small greenhouse, although despite the size it is landscaped in such a way that it is difficult to see one side of the looped pathway from the other, and the whole thing feels quite extensive. There are no free-flying birds, but there are several vivariums for a selection of smaller reptiles peppered throughout the place, all very well-landscaped. London's SLoRA has me spoiled for pretty reptile displays, so the reflective glass which clearly serves as a sliding door to open the enclosure (whereas at London the keepers access it from behind) was a little off-putting. Just a very personal thing, but these 'pet shop' style vivariums aren't really for me, and naturally this is the kind of nitpick that I just didn't notice when I was younger. That said, I really enjoyed the building. You enter through a big stony cavern tucked away behind a waterfall, with a small aquarium for Mexican Blind Cave Tetra, before being presented with the main rainforest portion. There were a few species in here which I have no recollection of seeing on previous visits, and will therefore be regarding as lifeticks regardless of whether or not that is accurate: in particular, the oddly chameleon-like Peruvian Bush Anole, gorgeously coloured Emerald Tree Skink, and appropriately named Pleasing Poison Dart Frog. The greatest rarity here is probably the Crowned Treefrog, though I couldn't see any. The country's only Malaysian Giant Pond Turtle are a fitting replacement in what was always a crocodile enclosure (if I'm not mistaken, it has held both Cubans and Dwarfs), but less appropriate was whatever replaced the Green and Yellow Anacondas - or so I thought this morning, but now I can't remember what it was!
Next up was 'Aridlands' (another name change, as it was once quite simply called the 'Desert House'), which was a little bit heart-breaking. Paignton has really struggled with avian influenza over the years, and this was presumably the cause of the unfortunate decision to remove all free-flying birds from this once excellent exhibit. The UK needs more desert displays, and now the best one we've ever had is a glorified porcupine house. Botanists and plant enthusiasts will find more to like here, as there are countless beautiful and well-labelled plants. Paignton is very proudly a botanical garden as well as a zoo, but as nice as the various plants throughout the grounds are (this is easily the best-decorated zoo in the UK), to see a once-great animal exhibit become a worse version of the various cactus displays at botanical gardens is a shame. The porcupine enclosure is great though, as is the sloth enclosure in the weird room between the two buildings.
Paignton's famous gibbon islands, on the other hand, are as good as ever. Easily some of the nation's very greatest primate exhibits. Yes, the blatantly European vegetation means you never believe you're in a rainforest, but the gibbons won't care, and as this is one of the very few places in the nation where you can see them brachiating not only on the mesh walls of their cages, but live trees, neither did I. The Pileated Gibbon and Black Howler islands are good enough, but the Lar Gibbon island is a whole other level and probably the best gibbon enclosure I have ever seen - I remember it being good from my previous visits, but not quite this good. The whole lakes area is really rather nice. It is covered with birds, but as most of them are wild, pinioning or wing clipping isn't necessary. There are two aviaries that enclose small portions of the lake, with a relatively large one for Marabou Storks opposite the restaurant proving quite entertaining as the couple began to build a nest, and a fairly standard assortment of waterfowl opposite the gorillas.
The African Lion and Sumatran Tiger enclosures are amazing. Ultimately nothing more than sectioned off, slightly hilly bits of woodland, but the animals must love it. There are numerous sheltered viewing areas, though they all proved futile for me as the animals were invisible. Even better is the Southern Cassowary enclosure, easily the most dense enclosure that I have seen for the species, which can make viewing difficult, but personally, I found that made it even more rewarding when I caught the occasional glimpse of the colourful, skulking dinosaur between the bushes. Another instance where the vegetation wasn't convincing anyone they are in Australia (a little stranger in this case, as Paignton, being a botanical garden, does have access to the appropriate smaller plants for the job), but again it didn't detract from my joy. There is also a big owl aviary, and the remnants of the former Brookside Aviary, a big walkthrough that was presumably another avian influenza casualty.
The closter of aviaries around the bongos was my second favourite part of Paignton as a child, and years later that hasn't changed. The aviaries are all large, dense, and walled by authentic wood and wire, with some interesting birds like Greater Roadrunner (which in the past I had only seen at Burgers' from some distance) and what may be my first Oriental White Stork, unless I saw it on a previous Paignton visit. I knew of their existence, but thought they were a near-identical subspecies of the same ones we get in Europe, although I correctly questioned that on realising that it had a dark blue beak, not an orange one. A stunning bird, although sadly easily startled by visitors, it seemed. One issue was the cobwebs; I have never seen so many on aviaries at any zoo, and wonder why the keepers don't simply clean them out, as while I wasn't exactly revolted, I can imagine how many other visitors would be. The bongo enclosure nearby is excellent, with huge patches of tall reeds allowing the shy, forest-dwelling antelope to vanish in the vegetation, or graze on a lawn if so inclined; almost like a (less remarkable) bongo equivalent of Exmoor's famous sitatunga paddock. The stables allowed me to get very close to a browsing bongo, and like all good zoos, Paignton's various hoofstock buildings had the distinctive smell all zoo enthusiasts are familiar with, and which many will find quite nostalgic. That said, in this instance I must admit it was a little bit overpowering!
Paignton's primate prowess perpetuated with Lemur Wood, a stunning walkthrough for a few species of lemurs that is packed with mature trees. However, as I remember being the case many years ago, they proved reluctant to leave the sectioned off, aviary-like structure in the middle. Both Bornean Orangutans and Western Gorillas have lovely islands, particularly the latter, although like many I lament the decision to get rid of the mature trees on the orangutan islands and replace them with a climbing frame not dissimilar to the one in the nearby children's playground. When I was younger, I always thought the indoor areas let down the excellent outdoors, and I still sort of think that (the lack of natural substrate is an issue) but they are much larger than I remember. The whole building is quite ugly though, both in terms of the bright red bricks externally, in contrast with the green surroundings, and the very gloomy interior. The presence of a baby orangutan was an adorable highlight. Nearby, a former coati enclosure is now an excellent binturong space.
The Black Rhinoceros enclosure also felt like a weak link as a child, but I now think I was wrong as it is very good. Both paddocks are spacious and completely grass-covered, whilst the stables were some of the few I have seen for rhinos with natural substrate and branches for browsing (of course not all rhino species are browsers). Though neither were amazing, I thought the Mandrill and Maned Wolf enclosures were both very good and very nicely planted, as was the Cheetah enclosure although with it being so far removed from the rest of the zoo and uphill, it did somewhat emphasise how much empty space the zoo has. On this hill is a former quarry that over the years has held several mountain bovids, although annoyingly I have no memory of it from my earlier visits and as such was quite eager to see it now. It is indeed spectacular, even taller than it looks in photos, and with it's height and steepness would provide a remarkable home for the takins who will soon arrive from Highland. Unfortunately, the Kunekune Pigs it currently holds of course make no use of the incline, and therefore are a slight waste. A very large giraffe enclosure has emerged as a result of the tragic early passing of Duchess the African Elephant, one of my favourite ever zoo animals. It was very sad seeing her former paddock empty and her stables boarded off and invisible. The giraffes now have access to her old enclosure as well. So-so, but not bad, Red River Hog and Ostrich enclosures are also around here.
I remember the old Nocturnal House as being almost pitch-black, and being the first place I ever saw an echidna, the famous Bruce, 50 years old and one of the last representatives of the mainland Australian subspecies in Europe, a lineage that is being phased out. However, it is now much brighter, and with Bruce also now treated to a large outdoor area, it presented a good opportunity for me to finally see the species in daylight after failing to do so at Hemsley and Prague. After two failed attempts, on my third, I rather fortunately stumbled across the echidna feeding (which is announced on a sign by the enclosure, but presumably to prevent large crowds, not on the talks timetable), where a keeper laid out some food for Bruce and he came along to eat it. The views were spectacular as he spent ages eating, and to make matters even better, the talk that came with it was, without doubt, the best that I have ever seen in a zoo. I don't really like zoo talks because so often the facts given are simple, 'fun facts' about the animal as a species that could have easily been ripped from Wikipedia, but this time, it was about Bruce as an individual, how the zoo cares for echidna, and the zoo as a whole; information that is difficult to come by and can only really be discovered at such an event. I would thoroughly recommend anyone to attend this excellent presentation.
Also around here were Dwarf Mongooses, a Dalmatian Pelican aviary which I believe was once a tapir and capybara enclosure, and a Roseate Spoonbill aviary which once held the first Secretary Bird I ever saw. Opposite all this is a very hilly and obscure pathway to a wallaby walkthrough, which is one of only three or so areas of the zoo which I never got round to visiting on my three prior visits. And now we can make that four, as it was closed, but looked enormous from the outside, and I was delighted to see one of my favourite animals, the Collared Peccary, for the first time in 3 years, and they were as adorable as ever. Another zone which I don't have any recollection of seeing before is 'Monkey Heights.' This is essentially a very long boardwalk which takes you past a series of enclosures for large monkeys such as Sulawesi Crested Macaques, Diana Monkeys, Cherry-crowned Mangabey and King Colobus, the latter two both fairly rare. They all have near-identical lawns with somewhat minimal climbing but a lot of space, connected to large, straw-covered indoor areas in a pair of impressive buildings. I got great views of the mangabeys, but sadly had no luck on what likely would have been my first ever King Colobus (unless I saw them on my previous visits and forgot). I found what really made the complex special was the series of smaller enclosures for callitrichids, squirrel mokeys, douroucoulis, agoutis, armadillos and slow loris along the main pathway, which resulted in a delightfully extensive roster of interesting primates. The disappointment was the poor viewing for the loris. As the building is daylit, the nocturnal enclosure can only be viewed through some pothole-like windows hidden behind rotating black covers, requiring the visitor to lean right into the potholes to see the species. The potholes are only barely bigger than the average head, so not too pleasant for someone with claustrophobia, I would imagine, and you have to lean right in to prevent reflection causing the glass to get steamed up quickly.
Next was 'Amphibian Ark,' which I adored. I love devoted amphibian exhibits and they are so hard to come by, with this one having a really interesting selection with the likes of Laos Warty Newt, Himalayan Newt and an undescribed species of harlequin toad! Several of the 'offshow' breeding rooms were partially visible. In many ways its similar to the amphibian portion of London's SLoRA, only the focus is fully on the amphibians and there are a lot more of them. Unfortunately, the adjacent invertabrate house, 'Bugs at Home,' was far more generic, and I was very disappointed to see that there no longer seems to be any Coconut Crabs in there, as the vivarium most resembling the one where they are kept according to the gallery being very much empty.
A dying genre of zoo exhibits is the big concrete 'rock' for baboons. You could argue it's for the better that they are slowly vanishing, as many are truly awful (such as the one at Hagenbeck), but Paignton's is not such an example as it is quite excellent, and yet in a few years it will be no more as the Hamdryas Baboons move to the huge hillside paddock opposite the giraffes, which until recently kept zebras and ostriches. In the aforementioned echidna talk, something was mentioned about how despite the baboons being category 1, and therefore the zoo being legally required to lock them indoors overnight, they don't do so because the indoor facilities aren't big enough for all of them to fit in without them (in the keeper's own words) 'killing each other.' A reminder that there is often a lot more to zoo enclosures than what you see, and I will trust that it is a good thing the baboons are moving elsewhere - sad nonetheless, as it the heights and steep slopes it provides are difficult to replicate with the meadows where baboons are so often found these days. Whether or not it is for the better that this exhibit is soon gone, it will be missed.
Past some standard enclosures for Meerkats, Kirk's Dik-diks and Aldabra Giant Tortoise, as well as an interesting display commemorating the zoo's centenary, is the exhibit that was always my favourite as a child: 'Crocodile Swamp.' 4 species of crocodile, including Salties, in one huge greenhouse was heaven on Earth for my younger crocodile-loving self. As such, when it was announced that the zoo would have to close the exhibit down due to restricting funds two years ago, it felt to me to be almost symbolic of the zoo's absolute nadir as it continued the steady decline. And for the same reason, when it reopened earlier this year, albeit with the number of crocodile species kept reduced to 2 and the Salties not among them, it seems symbolic of the zoo's gradual return to form.
I was worried I wouldn't be able to enjoy this exhibit with just 2 species, but I am pleased to say that I was wrong. As sad as it was to see the former Saltie pool reduced to a vacant extension of the Tomistoma pool, both remaining crocodilians benefit from having their neighbours' former enclosures combined with their own. It was while watching a Cuban Crocodile elegantly floating, occasionally propelling itself through the water with its remarkably powerful tail, that I began to appreciate just how much the awe factor crocodiles possessed is better-appreciated in an open-topped enclosure, rather than a glass-fronted one. Such opportunities like this are the reasons we fell in love with zoos - eerily close encounters with animals that it feels as though you have no right being this close to, that puts their oddities and nuances on full display. I was also able to get very close to the Tomistoma in the underwater viewing area, and was charmed by just how colourful the pools were with a variety of cichlids, guppies and plecos. Not to mention, the other species in the house proved more interesting than they ever used to be. I saw what is surely the biggest Reticulated Python I have ever seen in person, my first ever Mangrove Monitor, and an entertaining mix of Yellow-spotted River Turtle and Caiman Lizards. The threat of having this wonderful exhibit closed down made me appreciate it more than ever. Long may this remarkable building stand, even if it doesn't have the crocodilian diversity it once did. I think it's unlikely we will ever see a third species again in this house with the pools now being combined very effectively, but we could see a few more indivduals of the Tomistomas and Cubans to make it feel just slightly more alive, and to increase the crocodilian variety in the zoo as a whole, bringing back the Dwarf Crocodiles in 'Reptile Tropics' could be a good move.
The top left corner of the zoo's map was one that I always used to rush over on my earlier visits, so I made a point of spending more time there. In doing so, I discovered the famous Cottage Aviary, a widely loved exhibit in this forum, being a very attractively landscaped aviary attached to a gorgeous old structure. The whole closter of aviaries was very nice, with Yellow-backed Chattering Lory maybe being the most interesting species, although Spectacled Owls proved as striking as ever. I was a little disappointed to see four empty aviaries, more cobwebs, and the old Reptile Nursery closed, but I am still grateful to have finally taken the time to appreciate this peaceful corner of the zoo. There are also Red Pandas and spider monkeys.
On which note, I had seen the entire zoo, although I would hover around for another couple of hours, spent mostly jumping between Bruce, the rhinoceros bull, the baby orangutan and 'Crocodile Swamp.'
Like I said at the start of the review, as a child, I always thought Paignton was the best zoo I had been to. Based on what I had heard on this forum about the zoo's decline, and due to me having become far better travelled and experienced with visiting some of Europe's elite zoos, I expected it to be crushingly disappointing compared to those fond memories. I was wrong. Yes, my more trained eye did note some issues, and the zoo isn't as world-class as I thought it was: the cobwebs are ridiculous; the amount of empty space, be that a former enclosure or an unused lawn, was frustrating, and the abundance of domestics filling in unused spaces was equally irritating, even if some of them (kunekunes in the future takin quarry) are just placeholders. This is a very silly personal nitpick, but the feel it often gave off of being quite cheap and homemade with the sliding windows and visible keyholes on the vivariums for instance irritated me more than it should. I expect that homemade vibe from somewhere like Exmoor and Shaldon, but for Paignton, which feels as though its threatening to become world-class, I want automatic doors, clear unscratched glass, and aviaries without any cobwebs. The Ape Centre is as ugly as I remember it being, the loss of the Brookside Aviary is gutting, I was annoyed to miss out on the Coconut Crabs and I miss the Salties.
But the zoo is amazing. The UK only has one truly world-class zoo (Chester), and although I don't think this is as widely accepted, I have always been of the opinion that there is also a clear-cut second best, almost world-class zoo (Whipsnade). But third place is tricky. On paper, Colchester's comprehensive roster of big mammals and mostly decent exhibitry makes it a shoo-in, but birds are almost non-existent and it lacks any one exhibit (maybe the sun bears or sea lions, but not really) that is truly game-changing and unforgettable. We have plenty of specialist zoos with oustandingly high quality (Highland) and many charming, attractive smaller collections (Exmoor), but there is nowhere that is well-rounded in all aspects of collection, consistently high quality, and possessive of a distinct charm and character. Except Paignton. There are no elephants, no bears, no hippos, no pinnipeds, and for the time being no zebras, but this is mostly a really solid and satisfying mammalian roster that won't leave casual zoo-goers disappointed. It still has one of the country's very best herp collections, and the gradually declining bird collection remains really strong. There are world-class enclosures (the gibbon islands), there are no real bad enclosures from an animal's perspective (all the issues I can recall are mainly in terms of visitor presentation), there are animal houses with an anomalous focus (Crocodile Swamp), and there is a really distinct character thanks to the excellent botanical department. There are times where the place almost feels tropical with how beautifully decorated it is, and such specimens as the redwoods near the peccaries and the various succulents in the Desert House are eye-grabbing even for someone with no interest in plants. The zoo isn't perfect, and it isn't as good as it was a few years ago, but I am delighted to say that I stand by my opinion from six years prior: this is the third best zoo in the country.
As a child, I used to go on annual family holidays to Devon. Very often, these would include a zoo visit, and on three occasions, that zoo was Paignton. I discovered the place because of their Saltwater Crocodiles; as a child, crocodilians were my favourite animals, and realising that Paignton not only kept a Saltie, but also five species in total and Yellow Anacondas, was enough to catch my attention. What I wasn't expecting was for Paignton to outstand me as an overall zoo. If you were to ask me in six or seven years ago what the best zoo I had been to was, I would likely have told you it was a tie between Whipsnade and Paignton, although on some days I may have leant towards one or the other being the outright best I had seen. While I knew there were supposedly superior zoos out there, I couldn't believe that the gulf in quality between Paignton and a Berlin or a San Diego would be that big, because my young mind couldn't comprehend a zoo getting much better. That was until a week after my most recent (August 2019) Paignton visit, when a family holiday in France brought me to Beauval, which is in an entirely different playing field to anywhere in the UK that I had been to up until that time.
This new perspective (understanding that Paignton maybe isn't quite as world-class as I thought it was) was the first of several reasons that I was eager to visit. The next was simply that, being quite young when I last attended, I had forgotten quite a lot about the place. Another result of my young age at the time was that I didn't care much for rarities beyond crocodiles and echidnas, so there were a lot of very interesting species that I took somewhat for granted. The final reason is that, supposedly, a lot has changed, and not always for the better. Unfortunately, Paignton is widely recognised as being in a gradual state of decline, although 2025 has so far been a mostly positive year with the zoo, if not improving just yet, then at the very least stabilising. I was rather eager to see what is different, what is the same, and what is entirely gone.
Before even entering the zoo, you can see the flamingos. Like so many zoos, Paignton uses the colour and noise of these birds to guarantee a lively and attractive start to your day, although them being pinioned (or clipped) meant that for myself this was a little bit of a low note. You then walk through the zoo's very large entrance building, and onto a little boardwalk view of the flamingos. In my memory, this continued straight to 'Reptile Tropics,' but I actually had to walk down to the gibbon island (which appeared empty at first), and then loop right up to the restaurant only to double back on myself due to the one-way system of the rainforest-desert complex. I could be misremembering, but I'm sure this wasn't always the case, and it meant it was ages before I saw the first non-flamingo animal.
Started the day as I always used to - in 'Reptile Tropics,' now known as 'Tropics Trail.' A relatively small greenhouse, although despite the size it is landscaped in such a way that it is difficult to see one side of the looped pathway from the other, and the whole thing feels quite extensive. There are no free-flying birds, but there are several vivariums for a selection of smaller reptiles peppered throughout the place, all very well-landscaped. London's SLoRA has me spoiled for pretty reptile displays, so the reflective glass which clearly serves as a sliding door to open the enclosure (whereas at London the keepers access it from behind) was a little off-putting. Just a very personal thing, but these 'pet shop' style vivariums aren't really for me, and naturally this is the kind of nitpick that I just didn't notice when I was younger. That said, I really enjoyed the building. You enter through a big stony cavern tucked away behind a waterfall, with a small aquarium for Mexican Blind Cave Tetra, before being presented with the main rainforest portion. There were a few species in here which I have no recollection of seeing on previous visits, and will therefore be regarding as lifeticks regardless of whether or not that is accurate: in particular, the oddly chameleon-like Peruvian Bush Anole, gorgeously coloured Emerald Tree Skink, and appropriately named Pleasing Poison Dart Frog. The greatest rarity here is probably the Crowned Treefrog, though I couldn't see any. The country's only Malaysian Giant Pond Turtle are a fitting replacement in what was always a crocodile enclosure (if I'm not mistaken, it has held both Cubans and Dwarfs), but less appropriate was whatever replaced the Green and Yellow Anacondas - or so I thought this morning, but now I can't remember what it was!
Next up was 'Aridlands' (another name change, as it was once quite simply called the 'Desert House'), which was a little bit heart-breaking. Paignton has really struggled with avian influenza over the years, and this was presumably the cause of the unfortunate decision to remove all free-flying birds from this once excellent exhibit. The UK needs more desert displays, and now the best one we've ever had is a glorified porcupine house. Botanists and plant enthusiasts will find more to like here, as there are countless beautiful and well-labelled plants. Paignton is very proudly a botanical garden as well as a zoo, but as nice as the various plants throughout the grounds are (this is easily the best-decorated zoo in the UK), to see a once-great animal exhibit become a worse version of the various cactus displays at botanical gardens is a shame. The porcupine enclosure is great though, as is the sloth enclosure in the weird room between the two buildings.
Paignton's famous gibbon islands, on the other hand, are as good as ever. Easily some of the nation's very greatest primate exhibits. Yes, the blatantly European vegetation means you never believe you're in a rainforest, but the gibbons won't care, and as this is one of the very few places in the nation where you can see them brachiating not only on the mesh walls of their cages, but live trees, neither did I. The Pileated Gibbon and Black Howler islands are good enough, but the Lar Gibbon island is a whole other level and probably the best gibbon enclosure I have ever seen - I remember it being good from my previous visits, but not quite this good. The whole lakes area is really rather nice. It is covered with birds, but as most of them are wild, pinioning or wing clipping isn't necessary. There are two aviaries that enclose small portions of the lake, with a relatively large one for Marabou Storks opposite the restaurant proving quite entertaining as the couple began to build a nest, and a fairly standard assortment of waterfowl opposite the gorillas.
The African Lion and Sumatran Tiger enclosures are amazing. Ultimately nothing more than sectioned off, slightly hilly bits of woodland, but the animals must love it. There are numerous sheltered viewing areas, though they all proved futile for me as the animals were invisible. Even better is the Southern Cassowary enclosure, easily the most dense enclosure that I have seen for the species, which can make viewing difficult, but personally, I found that made it even more rewarding when I caught the occasional glimpse of the colourful, skulking dinosaur between the bushes. Another instance where the vegetation wasn't convincing anyone they are in Australia (a little stranger in this case, as Paignton, being a botanical garden, does have access to the appropriate smaller plants for the job), but again it didn't detract from my joy. There is also a big owl aviary, and the remnants of the former Brookside Aviary, a big walkthrough that was presumably another avian influenza casualty.
The closter of aviaries around the bongos was my second favourite part of Paignton as a child, and years later that hasn't changed. The aviaries are all large, dense, and walled by authentic wood and wire, with some interesting birds like Greater Roadrunner (which in the past I had only seen at Burgers' from some distance) and what may be my first Oriental White Stork, unless I saw it on a previous Paignton visit. I knew of their existence, but thought they were a near-identical subspecies of the same ones we get in Europe, although I correctly questioned that on realising that it had a dark blue beak, not an orange one. A stunning bird, although sadly easily startled by visitors, it seemed. One issue was the cobwebs; I have never seen so many on aviaries at any zoo, and wonder why the keepers don't simply clean them out, as while I wasn't exactly revolted, I can imagine how many other visitors would be. The bongo enclosure nearby is excellent, with huge patches of tall reeds allowing the shy, forest-dwelling antelope to vanish in the vegetation, or graze on a lawn if so inclined; almost like a (less remarkable) bongo equivalent of Exmoor's famous sitatunga paddock. The stables allowed me to get very close to a browsing bongo, and like all good zoos, Paignton's various hoofstock buildings had the distinctive smell all zoo enthusiasts are familiar with, and which many will find quite nostalgic. That said, in this instance I must admit it was a little bit overpowering!
Paignton's primate prowess perpetuated with Lemur Wood, a stunning walkthrough for a few species of lemurs that is packed with mature trees. However, as I remember being the case many years ago, they proved reluctant to leave the sectioned off, aviary-like structure in the middle. Both Bornean Orangutans and Western Gorillas have lovely islands, particularly the latter, although like many I lament the decision to get rid of the mature trees on the orangutan islands and replace them with a climbing frame not dissimilar to the one in the nearby children's playground. When I was younger, I always thought the indoor areas let down the excellent outdoors, and I still sort of think that (the lack of natural substrate is an issue) but they are much larger than I remember. The whole building is quite ugly though, both in terms of the bright red bricks externally, in contrast with the green surroundings, and the very gloomy interior. The presence of a baby orangutan was an adorable highlight. Nearby, a former coati enclosure is now an excellent binturong space.
The Black Rhinoceros enclosure also felt like a weak link as a child, but I now think I was wrong as it is very good. Both paddocks are spacious and completely grass-covered, whilst the stables were some of the few I have seen for rhinos with natural substrate and branches for browsing (of course not all rhino species are browsers). Though neither were amazing, I thought the Mandrill and Maned Wolf enclosures were both very good and very nicely planted, as was the Cheetah enclosure although with it being so far removed from the rest of the zoo and uphill, it did somewhat emphasise how much empty space the zoo has. On this hill is a former quarry that over the years has held several mountain bovids, although annoyingly I have no memory of it from my earlier visits and as such was quite eager to see it now. It is indeed spectacular, even taller than it looks in photos, and with it's height and steepness would provide a remarkable home for the takins who will soon arrive from Highland. Unfortunately, the Kunekune Pigs it currently holds of course make no use of the incline, and therefore are a slight waste. A very large giraffe enclosure has emerged as a result of the tragic early passing of Duchess the African Elephant, one of my favourite ever zoo animals. It was very sad seeing her former paddock empty and her stables boarded off and invisible. The giraffes now have access to her old enclosure as well. So-so, but not bad, Red River Hog and Ostrich enclosures are also around here.
I remember the old Nocturnal House as being almost pitch-black, and being the first place I ever saw an echidna, the famous Bruce, 50 years old and one of the last representatives of the mainland Australian subspecies in Europe, a lineage that is being phased out. However, it is now much brighter, and with Bruce also now treated to a large outdoor area, it presented a good opportunity for me to finally see the species in daylight after failing to do so at Hemsley and Prague. After two failed attempts, on my third, I rather fortunately stumbled across the echidna feeding (which is announced on a sign by the enclosure, but presumably to prevent large crowds, not on the talks timetable), where a keeper laid out some food for Bruce and he came along to eat it. The views were spectacular as he spent ages eating, and to make matters even better, the talk that came with it was, without doubt, the best that I have ever seen in a zoo. I don't really like zoo talks because so often the facts given are simple, 'fun facts' about the animal as a species that could have easily been ripped from Wikipedia, but this time, it was about Bruce as an individual, how the zoo cares for echidna, and the zoo as a whole; information that is difficult to come by and can only really be discovered at such an event. I would thoroughly recommend anyone to attend this excellent presentation.
Also around here were Dwarf Mongooses, a Dalmatian Pelican aviary which I believe was once a tapir and capybara enclosure, and a Roseate Spoonbill aviary which once held the first Secretary Bird I ever saw. Opposite all this is a very hilly and obscure pathway to a wallaby walkthrough, which is one of only three or so areas of the zoo which I never got round to visiting on my three prior visits. And now we can make that four, as it was closed, but looked enormous from the outside, and I was delighted to see one of my favourite animals, the Collared Peccary, for the first time in 3 years, and they were as adorable as ever. Another zone which I don't have any recollection of seeing before is 'Monkey Heights.' This is essentially a very long boardwalk which takes you past a series of enclosures for large monkeys such as Sulawesi Crested Macaques, Diana Monkeys, Cherry-crowned Mangabey and King Colobus, the latter two both fairly rare. They all have near-identical lawns with somewhat minimal climbing but a lot of space, connected to large, straw-covered indoor areas in a pair of impressive buildings. I got great views of the mangabeys, but sadly had no luck on what likely would have been my first ever King Colobus (unless I saw them on my previous visits and forgot). I found what really made the complex special was the series of smaller enclosures for callitrichids, squirrel mokeys, douroucoulis, agoutis, armadillos and slow loris along the main pathway, which resulted in a delightfully extensive roster of interesting primates. The disappointment was the poor viewing for the loris. As the building is daylit, the nocturnal enclosure can only be viewed through some pothole-like windows hidden behind rotating black covers, requiring the visitor to lean right into the potholes to see the species. The potholes are only barely bigger than the average head, so not too pleasant for someone with claustrophobia, I would imagine, and you have to lean right in to prevent reflection causing the glass to get steamed up quickly.
Next was 'Amphibian Ark,' which I adored. I love devoted amphibian exhibits and they are so hard to come by, with this one having a really interesting selection with the likes of Laos Warty Newt, Himalayan Newt and an undescribed species of harlequin toad! Several of the 'offshow' breeding rooms were partially visible. In many ways its similar to the amphibian portion of London's SLoRA, only the focus is fully on the amphibians and there are a lot more of them. Unfortunately, the adjacent invertabrate house, 'Bugs at Home,' was far more generic, and I was very disappointed to see that there no longer seems to be any Coconut Crabs in there, as the vivarium most resembling the one where they are kept according to the gallery being very much empty.
A dying genre of zoo exhibits is the big concrete 'rock' for baboons. You could argue it's for the better that they are slowly vanishing, as many are truly awful (such as the one at Hagenbeck), but Paignton's is not such an example as it is quite excellent, and yet in a few years it will be no more as the Hamdryas Baboons move to the huge hillside paddock opposite the giraffes, which until recently kept zebras and ostriches. In the aforementioned echidna talk, something was mentioned about how despite the baboons being category 1, and therefore the zoo being legally required to lock them indoors overnight, they don't do so because the indoor facilities aren't big enough for all of them to fit in without them (in the keeper's own words) 'killing each other.' A reminder that there is often a lot more to zoo enclosures than what you see, and I will trust that it is a good thing the baboons are moving elsewhere - sad nonetheless, as it the heights and steep slopes it provides are difficult to replicate with the meadows where baboons are so often found these days. Whether or not it is for the better that this exhibit is soon gone, it will be missed.
Past some standard enclosures for Meerkats, Kirk's Dik-diks and Aldabra Giant Tortoise, as well as an interesting display commemorating the zoo's centenary, is the exhibit that was always my favourite as a child: 'Crocodile Swamp.' 4 species of crocodile, including Salties, in one huge greenhouse was heaven on Earth for my younger crocodile-loving self. As such, when it was announced that the zoo would have to close the exhibit down due to restricting funds two years ago, it felt to me to be almost symbolic of the zoo's absolute nadir as it continued the steady decline. And for the same reason, when it reopened earlier this year, albeit with the number of crocodile species kept reduced to 2 and the Salties not among them, it seems symbolic of the zoo's gradual return to form.
I was worried I wouldn't be able to enjoy this exhibit with just 2 species, but I am pleased to say that I was wrong. As sad as it was to see the former Saltie pool reduced to a vacant extension of the Tomistoma pool, both remaining crocodilians benefit from having their neighbours' former enclosures combined with their own. It was while watching a Cuban Crocodile elegantly floating, occasionally propelling itself through the water with its remarkably powerful tail, that I began to appreciate just how much the awe factor crocodiles possessed is better-appreciated in an open-topped enclosure, rather than a glass-fronted one. Such opportunities like this are the reasons we fell in love with zoos - eerily close encounters with animals that it feels as though you have no right being this close to, that puts their oddities and nuances on full display. I was also able to get very close to the Tomistoma in the underwater viewing area, and was charmed by just how colourful the pools were with a variety of cichlids, guppies and plecos. Not to mention, the other species in the house proved more interesting than they ever used to be. I saw what is surely the biggest Reticulated Python I have ever seen in person, my first ever Mangrove Monitor, and an entertaining mix of Yellow-spotted River Turtle and Caiman Lizards. The threat of having this wonderful exhibit closed down made me appreciate it more than ever. Long may this remarkable building stand, even if it doesn't have the crocodilian diversity it once did. I think it's unlikely we will ever see a third species again in this house with the pools now being combined very effectively, but we could see a few more indivduals of the Tomistomas and Cubans to make it feel just slightly more alive, and to increase the crocodilian variety in the zoo as a whole, bringing back the Dwarf Crocodiles in 'Reptile Tropics' could be a good move.
The top left corner of the zoo's map was one that I always used to rush over on my earlier visits, so I made a point of spending more time there. In doing so, I discovered the famous Cottage Aviary, a widely loved exhibit in this forum, being a very attractively landscaped aviary attached to a gorgeous old structure. The whole closter of aviaries was very nice, with Yellow-backed Chattering Lory maybe being the most interesting species, although Spectacled Owls proved as striking as ever. I was a little disappointed to see four empty aviaries, more cobwebs, and the old Reptile Nursery closed, but I am still grateful to have finally taken the time to appreciate this peaceful corner of the zoo. There are also Red Pandas and spider monkeys.
On which note, I had seen the entire zoo, although I would hover around for another couple of hours, spent mostly jumping between Bruce, the rhinoceros bull, the baby orangutan and 'Crocodile Swamp.'
Like I said at the start of the review, as a child, I always thought Paignton was the best zoo I had been to. Based on what I had heard on this forum about the zoo's decline, and due to me having become far better travelled and experienced with visiting some of Europe's elite zoos, I expected it to be crushingly disappointing compared to those fond memories. I was wrong. Yes, my more trained eye did note some issues, and the zoo isn't as world-class as I thought it was: the cobwebs are ridiculous; the amount of empty space, be that a former enclosure or an unused lawn, was frustrating, and the abundance of domestics filling in unused spaces was equally irritating, even if some of them (kunekunes in the future takin quarry) are just placeholders. This is a very silly personal nitpick, but the feel it often gave off of being quite cheap and homemade with the sliding windows and visible keyholes on the vivariums for instance irritated me more than it should. I expect that homemade vibe from somewhere like Exmoor and Shaldon, but for Paignton, which feels as though its threatening to become world-class, I want automatic doors, clear unscratched glass, and aviaries without any cobwebs. The Ape Centre is as ugly as I remember it being, the loss of the Brookside Aviary is gutting, I was annoyed to miss out on the Coconut Crabs and I miss the Salties.
But the zoo is amazing. The UK only has one truly world-class zoo (Chester), and although I don't think this is as widely accepted, I have always been of the opinion that there is also a clear-cut second best, almost world-class zoo (Whipsnade). But third place is tricky. On paper, Colchester's comprehensive roster of big mammals and mostly decent exhibitry makes it a shoo-in, but birds are almost non-existent and it lacks any one exhibit (maybe the sun bears or sea lions, but not really) that is truly game-changing and unforgettable. We have plenty of specialist zoos with oustandingly high quality (Highland) and many charming, attractive smaller collections (Exmoor), but there is nowhere that is well-rounded in all aspects of collection, consistently high quality, and possessive of a distinct charm and character. Except Paignton. There are no elephants, no bears, no hippos, no pinnipeds, and for the time being no zebras, but this is mostly a really solid and satisfying mammalian roster that won't leave casual zoo-goers disappointed. It still has one of the country's very best herp collections, and the gradually declining bird collection remains really strong. There are world-class enclosures (the gibbon islands), there are no real bad enclosures from an animal's perspective (all the issues I can recall are mainly in terms of visitor presentation), there are animal houses with an anomalous focus (Crocodile Swamp), and there is a really distinct character thanks to the excellent botanical department. There are times where the place almost feels tropical with how beautifully decorated it is, and such specimens as the redwoods near the peccaries and the various succulents in the Desert House are eye-grabbing even for someone with no interest in plants. The zoo isn't perfect, and it isn't as good as it was a few years ago, but I am delighted to say that I stand by my opinion from six years prior: this is the third best zoo in the country.
