Paignton Zoo to re-open famous Giraffe House to the public

Paignton Zoo is excited to announce the grand re-opening of its newly renovated Giraffe House, set for Saturday, October 26, 2024. This re-opening follows valuable input from the zoo’s community, who expressed a keen interest in being able to view the giraffes from the indoor walkway once more.

The zoo is home to five female giraffes—Janica, Otilie, Joanna, Eliska, and Florrie. The Giraffe House, which previously also accommodated the zoo’s elephants, has undergone significant updates in recent weeks. Key improvements include the replacement of the bridge and walkway, enabling visitors to once again see the giraffes up close at eye level.

Since the passing of Duchess, their last elephant, in 2019, this half of the house remains empty while awaiting further refurbishment. The area where visitors previously viewed the elephants has now been decorated with colourful, interpretive signage that provides information on how Paignton Zoo is contributing to giraffe conservation efforts in the wild.

This re-opening comes in response to valuable feedback from the community, who expressed a strong desire to once again see inside the Giraffe House. Paignton Zoo is committed to listening to its community, as demonstrated by the recent fundraising campaign to re-open Crocodile Swamp due to popular demand.

Stephen Kings, Chief Executive Officer for Wild Planet Trust, commented: “We are incredibly pleased to be able to re-open the Giraffe House to our visitors. This project, along with our fundraising campaign to re-open Crocodile Swamp, reflects our dedication to engaging with our community and the feedback we’ve received. 

"The new panelling also gives us the opportunity to share some of the important conservation work we’ve been doing overseas, which is something our visitors have expressed an interest in learning more about.”

The re-opening ceremony will be officiated by one of Paignton Zoo’s long-standing staff members, Bryan Raynes, who has dedicated many years to working with both the giraffes and elephants. The ceremony will take place at 10:30am on Saturday, October 26. The zoo invites their community to come along and celebrate this milestone with them.

Pre-book your tickets for Saturday now - and take advantage of the zoo’s ‘Kids Go Free’ Half Term offer - on their website. Visit: www.paigntonzoo.org.uk