Sir Peter Scott and Jean Delacour, the French ornithologist. Paignton Zoo first opened to the public in 1923. After various name changes, it became Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in 1996. A five-year redevelopment programme, funded by the European Regional Development Fund, refurbished large parts of the zoo and was completed in 2001. A new 10-year plan is now in place to redevelop the remaining areas to ensure that all animals are housed in modern enclosures of the highest standard. Timeline 1923 – Paignton Zoo opened to the public 1940 – Miniature railway opened 1955 – Herbert Whitley died 1995 – European Regional Development Fund grant started redevelopment of Zoo 1996 – Became Paignton Zoo Environmental Park 1998 – Zoo Keepers BBC TV documentary series broadcast 2004 – Zoo Story ITV TV documentary series broadcast 2005 – Monkey Heights, the state-of-the-art monkey exhibit, opened 2008 – Crocodile Swamp exhibit opened 2012 – Dr David Stradling, chairman of WWCT, died; the zoo became the first in the UK to witness a giant Titan arum bloom 2013 – In the Great Gorilla Project, life-sized gorillas were placed across Devon for charity and £100,000 was raised 2016 – Great Big Rhino Project raised £123,000 for conservation 2019 – The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust is re-named and re-branded as the Wild Planet Trust 2019 – Duchess, the zoo's only African Elephant, died 2020 - Miniature railway closed Conservation Paignton Zoo is a member of the British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). Its gardens are members of PLANTNETWORK, Plant Heritage and Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). It works with partner zoos and gardens in these organisations on the management of captive breeding and plant conservation programmes for endangered species. Education and research The zoo has a large education team which teaches approximately 40,000 students each year from under-5s to post-16s, as well as adult community groups. The Education Department was founded in 1961 and the Paignton Zoo Science Department was established in 1997, during the redevelopment programme. Now renamed the Field Conservation and Research Department, it has grown to become a well-known zoo science departments in Europe, with staff engaged in a programme of projects within the zoo, at Wild Planet Trust's other sites in the UK, and at various sites overseas. Projects are carried out