Dartmoor Zoo creates new toy for tigers using recycled olive barrels

Dartmoor Zoo has teamed up with Devon Contract Waste (DCW) and Dorset based Artisan Olive company, Olives Et Al to provide a unique, olive barrel enrichment for their Amur Tiger; Dragan.

A resident of Dartmoor Zoo since June 2016, Dragan is a well known and much-loved member of the Zoo family.

With less than 500 Amur Tigers left in the wild, the IUCN Red List considered this species Endangered.

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Animal welfare is a top priority at Dartmoor Zoo, and enrichment is a great way for the keepers to ensure their animals are active, being challenged, utilising multiple senses and keeping their habitats interesting via hidden food, scent enrichment.

This innovative use of the barrels happened as a result of Dartmoor Zoo’s partnership with DCW who look to repurpose and reuse unwanted items before recycling, ensuring more sustainable solutions that are further up the ‘waste hierarchy’.

General Manager for DCW Grant Scott commented: “DCW always looks to find solutions for waste products that make the least possible impact on our environment and reusing and repurposing products in their original condition is always our first consideration - so this is a wonderful outcome.”

So, why olive barrels? Olives Et Al’s Co-Founder Giles Henschel Commented: “Well, they’re about the same size as wild boar or small deer which are common prey for tigers, they’re very solid and bouncy and they have similar colourings to themselves. Besides, they still smell of olives which will be a very interesting scent for a tiger, that’s for sure!”

Dartmoor Zoo’s Maintenance Manager Stuart Franklin commented: “It is hugely important to get multiple uses out of every resource, and this plays a fundamental role in our green initiatives on site. This was the driving factor behind implementing our partnership with DCW and the Dartmoor Zoo team are very excited about what the recycling future holds!”