Aims of the Zoo

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is an education and scientific charity dedicated to conserving our global wildlife heritage and inspiring in its many visitors a life long respect for animals and the environment. 

While aiming for excellence, the Zoo's mission will be achieved by:

-Keeping and breeding animals and propagating plants that are under threat or no longer exist in the wild.
-Offering all visitors an exciting and informative wildlife experience.
-Providing a resource for educational purposes, both within and outside the Zoo.
-Contributing to the conservation of wildlife and the natural environment both within and outside the Zoo.
-Supporting and promoting the work of the Zoo's owning body the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust.
-Encouraging Zoo staff and volunteers to achieve their fullest potential to enable the Zoo to meet its objectives.
-Promoting sustainability of local and global communities and their environment and managing the Zoo to a plan to support these ideals. 

In maintaining its status as a leading world zoo, a premier tourist attraction and a growing business, Paignton Zoo relies heavily for success on the quality, professionalism and dedication of its staff, who are considered its greatest asset. To that end, the Zoo is fully committed to the training and development of its staff to realise their full potential. 

Education

Our mission is to create an awareness and appreciation of the natural world and to motivate and enable people of all ages to respect and care for our environment. 

-An exciting learning environment with wildlife in habitat zones. 
-Over 250 different exotic animal species, 70 of which are endangered. 
-A range of native habitats to study. 
-Clear information signs with fascinating facts about the animals and their habitats. 
-Discovery Centre and Ark family activity centre. 
-Trails and activity packs. 

The Education Centre, situated at the heart of the Zoo and staffed by experienced, professional zoo educators, caters for all ages and abilities: Under 5s, Primary, Secondary, Post 16s and Community. 

Conservation and Research

Paignton Zoo is involved with both captive breeding programmes and in situ conservation projects around the world.

Captive breeding
Many of the species in the Zoo are endangered in the wild and are managed as part of co-operative breeding programmes with other zoos in the UK and Europe. Each species has a studbook manager who recommends suitable pairings to prevent inbreeding and ensure the captive population is genetically healthy. For some species captive breeding is the only way to ensure their survival.

Some of the species that we currently successfully breed include the hazel dormouse, the reddish-buff moth, the red panda, the king colobus monkey, the cassowary and the jackass penguin.

Paignton Zoo staff also manages the studbooks for the crocodilians and the kafue flats lechwe.

But captive breeding of endangered species is only one way zoos contribute to their conservation. Paignton Zoo, like many other zoos, also supports conservation in the wild (in situ).

The Dambari Field Station, Zimbabwe
The Dambari Field Station is the headquarters of the Marwell Zimbabwe Trust (MZT). This is a non-profit making wildlife conservation, management and research organisation established and registered in Zimbabwe in 1997. The station has an extensive collection of small antelope and excellent facilities for black rhino.

Nigerian Conservation Foundation
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) co-ordinates many projects and raises awareness about environmental issues throughout Nigeria. Paignton Zoo has strong links with the NCF and is providing funding for specific items to contribute towards conservation. Recent purchases include binoculars and GPS personal navigators used for research in tropical forest areas and the funding of posters for the NCF's rainforest campaign. 

Omo Forest Reserve, Nigeria
Paignton Zoo is also involved with the protection of the Omo Forest Reserve in Nigeria. The reserve and its wildlife are under threat from excessive logging and poaching. Paignton Zoo funds an Environmental Education Programme in six primary schools within the Omo Forest. Paignton Zoo also pays for a ranger to monitor the area and report any illegal logging or poaching to the State Forestry Department.

In addition, the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust provides a scholarship to students, who excelled in the Environmental Education Programme, to enable them to attend the Plantation High School, the only secondary school in the Omo Forest Reserve. 

Philippine Owl Project
Through donations from the public collected at Paignton Zoo's Feathered Feats bird show, over £6,000 has been raised and sent to the Philippine Owl Project in the Philippines. The money has helped to build new aviaries at a breeding centre where these birds are bred in captivity. It has also part funded a researcher who has studied the status of this owl in situ. 

Research

Paignton Zoo has one of the most active research programmes in UK zoos and takes a lead in the Research Group of the Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland. Research is co-ordinated by the Science Department in close collaboration with the animal and veterinary staff. Much of the research we do is applied, focussing on improving captive management techniques for the animals in our care, mainly in relation to behaviour, nutrition and parasitology. We also conduct pure research into various fundamental aspects of the species biology also largely in the area of behaviour and psychology. All research is non-invasive and conducted under strict ethical guidelines to ensure it does not cause any stress or harm to our animals. A few examples of research projects conducted at the Zoo include: the effects of increasing dietary fibre on rumination in giraffes, cognitive mapping in orang utans, a long term study on behaviour and the effects of various management events on a troop of Hamadryas baboons and territorial behaviour of free-ranging basilisk lizards. 

The Zoo has two permanent research staff but most research is carried out by visiting scientists.
Many students of all levels, from school to PhD, visit the Department each year to help undertake scientific studies and gain valuable research experience.

The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust

The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, a registered charity, was founded in Devon in 1955 (formerly the Herbert Whitley Trust) after the death of Herbert Whitley, to continue his work.

It is the Trust's objective to protect nature and wildlife at its four properties

·         Paignton Zoological and Botanical Gardens - an educational and scientific charity committed to conservation and operating over 70 endangered species programmes. 

·         Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve in South Hams - a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Slapton Ley Field Centre was established by the Field Studies Council in 1959 and is now the best-documented research area in Britain. 

·         Primley Park, Paignton - the meadow and woods are both an important wildlife habitat and public open space. 

·         Clennon Valley, Paignton - an area of ancient woodland and a valuable home for wildlife. 

The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust is concerned with the protection of plants, animals and their habitats and is taking practical steps to contribute towards their long-term survival.