It was about August when I visited Paignton Zoo in Devon, which is the biggest in the UK. The zoo was founded in 1901 by Herbert Whitley, when he was only small, with a doting gift from his mother of a pair of canaries. He went on to raise and show finches, Dutch rabbits and silver Wyandotte poultry but the stars of his compilation were undeniably his adored blue and black cropper pigeons. The 1st monkeys arrived in 1910, & in 1911 Herbert bought the 1st of the Primley striking birds, a couple of sulphur crested cockatoos. Only a fragment of Paignton Zoo's history is written here, but you can read all about this amazing variety & its founder, Herbert Whitley, in the book 2Chimps, Champs and Elephants" by Jack Baker. This book is sold in the shop, & in retail outlets at the Zoo.
We caught the bus from Teignmouth Triangle ( a name of a street in the town) & changed at Torquay. By Bus. Stagecoach & First Western National run bus services direct to the Zoo. Visitor's travelling by bus r entitled to a 10% discount on the entry price on production of a valid bus ticket. There is also special open top buses, which goes to the zoo. Nearby is an Esso nearbye garage if you want to get drinks from, & not want to spend too much in the zoo. The Zoo has a free secure bike rack, outside the main exit.
The queuing can be quite long, but once your inside it’s well worth the wait. There is a shop inside the foyer & sells mainly animal things for children, although there are a few gifty things like cups & T-shirts etc.
The prices for addmission are: ADULT £6.75 CHILD (AGE 3 - 15YRS ) £ 4.95 SENIOR CITIZEN & STUDENT £ 5.50 FAMILY ( 2 ADULTS + 2 CHILDREN ) £ 21.50 Wheelchair User / Disabled with card ADULTS £ 6.25 CHILD ( AGE 3 - 15YRS ) £ 4.25 SENIOR CITIZEN £ 5.25 Phone 01803 697510 or e-mail education@paigntonzoo.org.uk
The first place to visit is the Reptile House which is quite hot and humid inside. The snakes are quite interesting & there is a bird flying about who makes nest’s & lands on your arm (she also plucks hair off your head to complete her home!). There is a small train which goes along a small rail, good for children it passes the restaurant. Here peacocks walk by the tables looking for food, there is indoor seating & is quite full in high season.
This zoo has featured on a TV show called "Zoo Keepers", in autumn 1988 which was quite intresting. The programme returned for a second series in the spring of 2000 after another seven long months of filming. This series had a slightly more staid manner than the first.
If it is raining you can get poncho’s from £2 from the shop, they are mainly green & don’t last very long. There is the Elephant House where lives a African & Indian elephants. You can look down of them & nearbye are the giraffes & monkey enclosure. The enclosures are well spaced out which is better for the animals & doesen't make them look they r in Wormwood Scrubs.
I visited with my cousin but the zoo let her out again, har har!
The Zoo is open all year round (except Christmas Day). Doors are open to the Zoo at 10am every day but then close at varying times according to the season and light. They are also open from 10a.m. to 500pm. (dusk if earlier) in the winter months. Last admission is 3pm. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer months, with last admission at 5pm.
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Nov 25th, 2003
(Nov 26th, 2003)
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