Zoo Miami launched a new program, “Zoo Doo,” in an effort to reduce its landfill footprint and celebrate Endangered Species Week, Wednesday.
As part of the program, Zoo Miami has been collecting the manure of various endangered herbivores, including rhinos and elephants, and combining it with ground up tree, plants and zoo debris to create compost.
The process also helps the zoo to save on the purchase of soil.
The program was made possible through the use of a specialized composter called the Enviro-Drum, which is only utilized by Zoo Miami and one other zoo in the country.
About 2,000 pounds of manure was collected daily from six elephants, five rhinos and three Bantengs, supplying the “brown” waste that is then combined with landscaping “green” waste to create compost.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.