Blog: How public support brought Paignton Zoo's Crocodile Swamp back from the brink

Farah Adaci, from Wild Planet Trust, explains how crocodile swamp is now enthralling visitors at Paignton Zoo after lying dormant…

When Crocodile Swamp closed in December 2022, its future looked uncertain. Extensive repairs weren't financially viable, and we faced the possibility this beloved exhibit would never reopen. By 2024, Wild Planet Trust's financial challenges had only compounded, and we faced the very real possibility that this beloved exhibit would never reopen.

The public response was overwhelming. Countless families shared how Crocodile Swamp had sparked their children's passion for wildlife. These weren't just memories - they were the catalyst for our 'Bring Back the Swamp' campaign.

This January, watching over 200 people brave a chilly Devon morning as they queued for our reopening, I felt the weight of every donation, every message of support. Our record-breaking 1,600 visitors that day wasn't just a number - it was a statement from our community.

Having helped to coordinate Paignton Zoo's Centenary celebrations in 2023, this reopening held special resonance for me. I spoke with generations of visitors, from former staff to lifelong supporters, collecting stories spanning back to the 1940s. I felt the weight of every memory, every milestone, every step that transformed this zoo from the private collection of an eccentric millionaire into a global force for conservation.

Every resident of Crocodile Swamp tells a unique conservation story. They're not just a collection of  animals - they're ambassadors for their wild cousins who reside in some of the world's most threatened habitats. Spice, our Cuban crocodile, represents one of the world's most endangered crocodilian species, with fewer than 3,000 remaining in their native wetlands. Alongside her, our Sunda gharial, Lima, highlights the critical state of Asian river systems, where this species has nearly vanished from their native range.

Each visitor encounter becomes an opportunity to share these species' stories, helping people understand why wildlife conservation matters. And for every visitor, their experience is unique. Walking through the exhibit, you can see this understanding dawn on visitors' faces - whether they're marvelling at our mangrove monitor lizard, Pierre, or discovering the intricate relationships between our animals and the tropical plants that surround them. It's these moments of connection that remind us why we do what we do.

As a member of staff stepping into this exhibit alongside the public once again, what struck me most was how the dedication of the wider zoo team is encapsulated in every detail. From keepers monitoring precise conditions for our animals, to maintenance staff perfecting every surface. Our designers creating immersive spaces, alongside the gardens team curating plants that mirror natural habitats. It's a microcosm of what makes Paignton Zoo special – people whose passion for their craft flows naturally into something greater. They're preserving and building upon a legacy that means everything to our community.

And our community means everything to us. Every visitor who walks through our doors supports not just Paignton Zoo's next century, but Wild Planet Trust's vital conservation work, both here and abroad. What began as a crisis has become proof that when people unite to protect what they value, extraordinary things happen.

By Farah Adaci, Communications Team Leader, Paignton Zoo [She/Her]

All blogs reflect the views of their author and are not necessarily a reflection of BIAZA's positions