New Curator has local roots

Paignton Zoo has appointed Nic Dunn, previously head of Shaldon Wildlife Trust, as Curator of Mammals. Nic Dunn is a local lad, born in Shaldon he pretty much grew up at his local zoo:

“My parents had a pub and knew the people running the zoo at that time. I spent every free moment with the animals.”

Nic went to school in Torquay, became a zoo keeper, spent time in Africa working with primates and, after a detour via pub and restaurant management, got the job running Shaldon Wildlife Trust.

Shaldon may be a small zoo but it has a big reputation for conservation – and that’s mainly down to Nic. He’s been active nationally and internationally with breeding programmes, conservation projects and committees.

He’s well-connected in the zoo world; he’s Chair of the BIAZA Living Collections Committee and an active participant in animal management activities at European level.

As a zoologist, his area of expertise is small primates including marmosets, tamarins and the only venomous primate the slow loris. When it comes to the larger animals Nic says: “I’m lucky enough to have a team of dedicated, experienced keepers who I am confident will teach me a thing or two about the big angry things…”.