Category × County
12 Best Zoos and Wildlife Parks In Devon
Families arrive in Devon expecting zoos and find birds of prey. Several of the twelve wildlife listings are falconry and bird centres, among them North Devon Falconry, Hawkridge Bird of Prey Centre and Yaraks Bird of Prey, and they make a very different shape of day from Paignton Zoo or Exmoor Zoo.
The difference is worth planning around. A zoo you walk at your own pace and leave when the children flag. A small specialist collection tends to ask for more attention and give less room to roam, which suits a child who watches closely and frustrates one who needs to keep moving.
Top zoos and wildlife parks in Devon
Showing 1–12 of 12
Zoos and Wildlife ParksAlpaca Trekking with Bearhouse Alpacas
Zoos and Wildlife ParksNorth Devon Falconry
Zoos and Wildlife ParksYaraks Bird of Prey
Zoos and Wildlife ParksHawkridge Bird of Prey Centre
Zoos and Wildlife ParksBuckfast Butterflies and Otter Sanctuary
Zoos and Wildlife ParksExmoor Zoo
Zoos and Wildlife ParksTotnes Rare Breeds Farm
Zoos and Wildlife ParksPaignton Zoo
Theme ParksWoodlands Family Theme Park
Zoos and Wildlife ParksShaldon Zoo
Zoos and Wildlife ParksDartmoor Zoological Park
Zoos and Wildlife ParksCombe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park
Seven of the twelve keep indoor space, so the county is not a write-off in poor weather, though the largest sites are still mostly walking. Buckfast Butterflies and Otter Sanctuary and Totnes Rare Breeds Farm sit between the two extremes, and Alpaca Trekking with Bearhouse Alpacas is the one for a family that would rather do something than look at something.
Zoos and Wildlife Parks in Devon: FAQs
What is the real difference between a zoo and a bird centre here?
Scale and pacing. A zoo gives you paths, a map and a whole morning of choices, and children set their own route. A bird of prey centre is smaller and more focused, usually built around watching rather than wandering, and it works best for a child who will stand still and pay attention for a stretch. Neither is better; they are different days.
Which suits a teenager?
Something with an element of participation rather than pure viewing. Alpaca Trekking with Bearhouse Alpacas is the clearest example on the Devon list, and the specialist bird centres also tend to hold older children better than a general collection, because there is more to learn and less that feels aimed at infants.
Our youngest is nervous around animals. Any advice?
Start small and stay in control of the distance. A large zoo lets you keep everything behind glass or a fence, which is often easier than a hands-on site where contact is the whole point. Warn staff early rather than mid-visit, and be ready to leave a section quickly. A first short visit that goes well is worth more than a long one that does not.
How many of these can we do in a weekend?
One properly, or one big one plus one small one. The larger collections take most of a day if you let the children set the pace, and a second full site on the same day tends to be wasted money. Pairing a morning at a specialist centre with an afternoon somewhere entirely different works better than stacking two similar visits.