Paignton Zoo Environmental Park — Zoo in Paignton

BIAZA WAZA-WP

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park and its collection

Paignton Zoo, opened in 1923, is a zoo in Paignton, United Kingdom.

As of January 2026 the zoo keeps roughly 1,876 animals of about 189 species on an 80-acre site. It began as Herbert Whitley's private collection at his home, Primley House, and opened to the public in 1923 under the name Primley Zoological Gardens. After Whitley died in 1955 it passed to a charitable trust that later became the Wild Planet Trust.

Animals and collection

Animals on show include Sumatran tigers, western lowland gorillas, Bornean orangutans, Rothschild’s giraffes and red pandas.

Exhibits

The site has been run since its early years as both an animal collection and a horticultural landscape, growing some 1,600 plant species, with planting chosen for welfare, habitat and visitor experience.

Things to do

Things to do include Daily animal feeding sessions, Paignton Zoo Animal Experiences and Daily talks.

What the venue says

Paignton Zoo Animal Experiences
Restaurant and multiple food outlets around the site
Accessible toilets (including a fully equipped Changing Places facility) are located around the site, and manual wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and strollers are available to hire (advance booking recommended)

Images of Paignton Zoo Environmental Park

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Wpt-zoo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Wpt-zoo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Lee Vilenski, CC-BY-SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Lee Vilenski, CC-BY-SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Lee Vilenski, CC-BY-SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Lee Vilenski, CC-BY-SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
i
Lee Vilenski, CC-BY-SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
i
Lee Vilenski, CC-BY-SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
i
Lee Vilenski, CC-BY-SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
i
Lee Vilenski, CC-BY-SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Opening hours

No opening hours yet

We have no opening hours for this venue.

Paignton Zoo is open every day (except for Christmas Day), with seasonal opening times available on our website.

Facilities

On-site dining
Keeper talk or show

Exhibitions & events

No upcoming events

No temporary exhibitions or scheduled public events are published for Paignton Zoo Environmental Park at this time.

Accreditation

BIAZA member (source)
WAZA-WP member (source)

Location & map

Devon
Paignton
United Kingdom

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Frequently asked questions

No frequently asked questions yet

We have not published any questions and answers for Paignton Zoo Environmental Park.

Animals

Photographs show each species in general. They were not taken at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park.

Sumatran tigers
western lowland gorillas
Bornean orangutans
Rothschild’s giraffes
red pandas
Chilean flamingos
southern white rhinos
northern brown kiwi
short-beaked echidna
Greater rhea
Swamp wallaby
Domestic yak
Sitatunga
Vicuña

Exhibits

Grasslands
Islands
Wetlands
Rainforests
Clennon Gorge
Savannah
Rhino House & Paddock

On site

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park 262 m from the centre of the site
South West Environmental Parks Limited 1.1 km from the centre of the site

Nearby zoos and aquariums