Green firefighters provide zoo with bear necessities
Eco-friendly team donate old hoses to makes wings and things for rare species
Keeping zoo animals in the swing of things is a bear necessity for eco-conscious Cambuslang-based fire fighters.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service personnel have swung into action yet again – this time providing upcycled play equipment made from old, heavy duty hoses for a rare species of bear at Edinburgh Zoo.
The emergency service is dedicated to reducing waste and is always seeking creative and innovative ways to recycle old or damaged gear that can’t be used.
And the sustainability team, based at SFRS HQ in Cambuslang, was delighted to hand over a batch of redundant, heavy duty hoses to make a sturdy hammock swing for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s sun bears – a species also known as the honey bear due to their love of honeycombs.
Cambuslang-based SFRS sustainability manager Kenneth Blake explained: “We are always thinking of new and creative ways to reduce waste – but I have to say that this particular example really lays ‘bear’ the true extent of our commitment.
“There are not that many disposal routes for these hoses, which are around 25 metres in length and made from really durable rubber, other than as building materials.
“When the opportunity came up to give them to a wildlife conservation charity, we were thrilled. These hoses really are the bee’s knees for creating a long-lasting swing hammock for the sun bears.”
Malayan sun bears are one of the world’s rarest species of bear.
The wild population is under serious threat due to the rapid destruction of their habitat and the illegal wildlife trade, making them vulnerable to extinction.
Rotana was rescued from a tiny cage in a private home in Cambodia.
He was rehomed at Edinburgh Zoo in 2010 and later joined by Babu, a female from the Czech Republic. The pair took their first steps outdoors together just over a year ago.
Kenneth added: “We are also a humanitarian organisation so it is a sincere pleasure to play a small part in providing bears like Rotana with a comfortable and safe environment to play, relax – and ultimately flourish.”
Now the wildlife conservation charity has been given another donation of hoses, which will be turned into something fun and useful for some of the zoo’s other inhabitants.
Darren McGarry, head of living collections at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “As a wildlife conservation charity, we’re always grateful when other organisations support our work.
“Thanks to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, we’ve been able to create new spaces for our animals to explore using the hoses.
“As well as being great fun for Rotana and Babu, this is a fantastic way to encourage them to express their natural behaviours.”