Paignton Zoo

Paignton Zoo
50°25′44″N 3°35′4″W / 50.42889°N 3.58444°W / 50.42889; -3.58444
Date opened	1923
Location	Paignton, Devon, England
Land area	80 acres (32 ha)
No. of animals	Over 2,000
No. of species	Over 250
Major exhibits	Reptile Tropics, Crocodile Swamp, Ape Centre, Lemur Wood, Monkey Heights
Website	www.paigntonzoo.org.uk

Paignton Zoo is a zoo in Paignton, Devon, England. The zoo was started as a private collection by avid animal collector and breeder, Herbert Whitley, in the grounds of his home Primley House. It was opened to the public on a number of occasions, originally as Primley Zoological Gardens, and closed twice due to disputes with the tax authorities. The commercialisation of the zoo came when animals and attractions were relocated from Chessington Zoo during World War II, and the site was named as Devon's Zoo and Circus

On Whitley's death, the zoo was signed over to a trust, now called the Wild Planet Trust, to be run as a public attraction. The zoo has a collection of about 2,000 animals representing nearly 300 species, and cultivates about 1,600 different species of plant. It employs 140 permanent staff, rising to over 200 in peak season.^[1]