Latest Living Coasts News

If you thought it was a challenge to hoover the house, imagine cleaning the bottom of a penguin enclosure! You’ll need a water vacuum, breathing apparatus and something to keep nosey penguins out of your way.

When the South American fur seal is first born, they spend a great deal of their young years with their family. Tamar, the latest pup born at Living Coasts Zoo has been too small to meet her family – until now.

Conservation charity has been awarded a huge United Nations fund, for its project in South East Asia.Selamatkan Yaki (“Save the Yaki”) is funded by the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, based at Paignton Zoo, and works on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia to protect the Sulawesi crested black macaque, known locally as yaki. The United Nations Development Programme grant is worth 265,000 US dollars, more than £200,000, over five years.

The seals at Living Coasts are getting into the Halloween Spirit. Yes, the keepers at Living Coasts have given the seals are pumpkin filled with squid – sounds tasty, no? The pumpkin and it’s fishy filling was encased in ice, and was challenging for the seals to get into. Eventually, the salt water melted the ice surrounding their prize and they were able to feast.

Torquay’s costal zoo is undergoing some new work, to improve the vast aviary net at Living Coasts. Operations Manager of Living Coasts, Care Rugg, commented, “We have had a rolling program to replace every part of the net over the last few years. These are the last panels to be renewed. They are replacing two of the very top panels and some of the cross ropes, as well as replacing many of the lower level wall panels around the edges.”

Could you imagine yourself diving with penguins? Or puffins? Or sea ducks? If so, Living Coasts would like to hear from you.

Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo, is currently the venue for a battle of wills – between a research student and a super-intelligent mollusc.

Here’s a story to break the stereotype that all teenagers are lazy, apathetic and lacking in motivation. Four young people from Plymouth are training for a 43-mile charity hike that they have planned, organised and prepared for themselves. And it’s all in aid of local conservation charity Living Coasts.

Penguins are taking it easy, as zoo keepers lend a hand incubating eggs, this Spring at Living Coasts in Torquay. But staff aren’t taking turns to sit on the nests on Penguin Beach – they’re using their knowledge - and a little technology.

Spring is in full swing at Torquay’s coastal zoo, Living Coasts, where birds are busy building nests, sitting on eggs and caring for chicks.

The people and rainforests of West Africa are being spoken out for, by West Country wildlife conservationists. Staff at the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT), based at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, are calling on the authorities in Nigeria to stop the construction of a road through vital rainforest habitat.

Keepers at Living Coasts are moving some precious specimens, but  have to make sure they get the box the right way up! As the name suggests, the cassiopea or upside-down jellyfish, lives upside down, with its tentacles pointing upwards.

A key local charity has been celebrating the achievements of its volunteers. The dedicated band clocked up the equivalent of 3,000 working days during 2015.

One of the region’s key conservation charities is looking forward to a busy and successful 2016.

A few years ago Glen was overweight and a borderline alcoholic, he suffered a collapsed lung and doctors told him to change his lifestyle or die. Now, as an ultra-endurance athlete, he’s taking on a huge physical and mental challenge in aid of a local charity. Glen Bevan’s story of hope and transformation is inspirational.

At Living Coasts in Devon an injured wading bird has been rescued and given safe haven.

Living Coasts has announced plans to celebrate its tenth birthday.