Werribee Open Range Zoo is making do with bamboo in some ways that are pretty new.
Using bamboo donated from Geelong Botanic Gardens, keepers have been putting their DIY skills to the test and crafting everything from wind chimes to treat-dispensing totem poles.
Savannah Keeper Laura Harbridge said the team had a blast inventing new enrichment devices for giraffes, camels, nyala and tammar wallabies using the two tonnes of bamboo.
“We take inspiration from other zoos around the world, and our keepers and volunteers come up with ideas like, ‘how fun would it be to make a meerkat-apult?,’” Ms Harbridge said.
“For the giraffe, we built a feeder that encouraged them to use their dexterous tongues to work the food out, it’s all about getting them to think, stretch and behave as they would in the wild.”
Geelong Botanic Gardens coordinator Keelee Reissinger said the donation was a perfect way to be sustainable.
“We donated bamboo to Zoos Victoria to protect our heritage trees at the Geelong Botanic Gardens from being impacted by its growth,” Ms Reissinger said.
“If it wasn’t reused, the bamboo would have gone to landfill and taken up to eight years to break down.”
Visitors can also join in the fun through the Giraffe Behind-the-Scenes Experience, where they can help create their own bamboo feeding devices.
