Giraffes grazing alongside zebras, vicuñas sharing their surroundings with rheas, and monkeys living alongside ground-dwelling mammals. It's an exciting new chapter for Paignton Zoo, as different species come together as part of a growing focus on naturalistic, mixed-species habitats.

As Paignton Zoo continues its transformation under new ownership, the creation of habitats inspired by ecosystems around the world are giving compatible species the opportunity to share spaces, encouraging natural behaviours and creating more dynamic environments for animals and visitors alike. One of the most exciting examples can be found in the zoo's developing African Savannah where Nubian giraffes are now sharing their habitat with Grant's zebras.

Bringing these iconic African species together marks an important step towards creating a larger, more diverse savannah environment, with even more animals set to join the habitat in the future.

Lisa Britton, Head of Living Collections at Paignton Zoo, said: "It's fantastic to see these habitats coming to life and different species beginning to share their spaces. For the animals, it creates new opportunities to explore, interact with their surroundings and express natural behaviours, while giving our visitors a chance to see wildlife in a completely different way. Every introduction is carefully planned with animal welfare at its heart, and we're really excited to see how these habitats continue to develop."

The approach builds on its new owner's Libéma's extensive experience managing zoological attractions in the Netherlands, where expansive, naturalistic habitats are a key part of the experience.

For visitors, it means there's even more to discover. From watching giraffes and zebras share a landscape to observing how different animals explore and interact with their surroundings, these habitats offer a new perspective on wildlife and the connections between species. They also provide opportunities to learn more about biodiversity, conservation and the importance of protecting the natural environments these animals represent. And this is only the beginning.....

Future plans include introducing pileated gibbons alongside the zoo's Bornean orangutans, exploring the addition of antelope to the African Savannah, and the potential for babirusas to share a habitat with macaques. With animal welfare at the heart of every development, there's plenty more to look forward to as new habitats and species come together across the zoo.

As Paignton Zoo's new chapter continues to unfold, these shared habitats are helping bring its vision to life, creating more enriching environments for animals while offering visitors new ways to explore, discover and connect with wildlife.