Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Paignton Zoo
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
- Primley Zoological Gardens
- Devon's Zoo and Circus
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1923-
History
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