Historic reopening of Paignton Zoo’s Crocodile Swamp draws record crowds after two-year closure

Paignton Zoo celebrated a historic milestone as over 1,600 visitors attended the grand reopening of its Crocodile Swamp exhibit on Saturday, the highest footfall for a January day since the popular exhibit first opened in 2010. The facility, which closed in December 2022, has undergone extensive renovations through community support and local business partnerships.

The reopening ceremony commenced at 11am, with Team Leader Tom Wilkinson addressing attendees, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by Sophie Chapman, winner of the zoo’s fundraising prize draw. A queue of over 200 visitors formed to view the exhibit.

250118 PZ Croc Swamp Reopening Prize draw winner Sophie poses with Team Leader Tom Wilkinson — *^{Prize draw winner Sophie Chapman poses with Team Leader Tom Wilkinson and part of her prize; a giant crocodile plush, courtesy of retail partner Nature Planet.}*

Paignton Zoo said that the journey to this moment has been a long and challenging one, expressing heartfelt gratitude to the local community and businesses for their unwavering support. Special thanks were extended to Westcountry Fabrication Ltd and Dyson Construction for their generous discounts on construction services, which were instrumental in the successful completion of the project.

Steph Dawson, Business Development Manager for Paignton Zoo, commented:

“We are incredibly excited to welcome visitors back to Croc Swamp. This exhibit has always been a favourite, and we are thrilled that visitors can now enjoy the swamp again. The support from our community and local businesses has been overwhelming, and we are grateful for their contributions.”

Exhibit residents

Crocodile Swamp is currently home to:

Spice, a 16-year-old female Cuban crocodile
Lima, an 18-year-old female Sunda gharial
Pierre, a 19-year-old male mangrove monitor lizard
Lyra, a 16-year-old reticulated python
Biscuit and Basil, 10-year-old female and male northern caiman lizards
Dwayne and Billy-Bob, 14-year-old male yellow spotted turtles
Aquatic species including zebra mbunas, blue mbunas, and guppies

250118 PZ Croc Swamp Reopening Caiman lizard Basil is one of the exhibits newer residents — *_{Caiman lizard Basil is one of the exhibit’s newer residents.}*

The exhibit’s botanical collection features Titan arum seedlings propagated from the zoo’s 2017 flowering specimen, projected to bloom in 2028. Additional plant species include various epiphytes (bromeliads, orchids, and ferns) and a male cacao tree.

As for the Swamp’s future plans, Tom Wilkinson commented:

“We’re looking to continuously evaluate the species that we hold in Crocodile Swamp and are hoping to bring in some new and exciting ones further down the line, but I can’t tell you any more than that at this stage!”

Visitor information

250118 PZ Croc Swamp Reopening Families in awe seeing the residents of the Swamp up close — ^{Families were thrilled to once again be able to get face to face with crocodiles in the popular, immersive exhibit.}

Paignton Zoo’s special Winter pricing offers reduced admission:

Adults: £20 (normally £26.35)
Children: £17.50 (normally £19.75)
All prices include Gift Aid donation
Opening hours: 10am – 4:30pm daily

Visitors can book tickets in advance online. Each visit supports Wild Planet Trust’s vital conservation work both in the UK and overseas. Gift Aid declarations on ticket purchases provide additional funding at no extra cost to visitors. To book tickets, or learn more about how you can support Paignton Zoo, please click here.

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