Lions do their bit for zoo
A New Plymouth zoo has received a $23,000 new shelter – and it’s not for the animals.
Brooklands Zoo’s new green-roofed, permanent picnic shelter has been donated by the Pakeke Lions Club as part a project to celebrate 100 years of Lions Clubs around the world.
David May, from the club, said the money was raised from the ‘Puff ‘n Stuff’ train, a two-carriage vehicle which the Lions have run for 20 years and which takes people around Pukekura Park and the zoo. It was a two-year project which required co-operation from the Lions Club, the zoo and New Plymouth District Council.
The shelter is to protect zoo-goers from rain and sun and has a picnic table underneath, something that the public asked for in a recent survey.
‘‘We really have served our community,’’ former Lions Club president Mavis Richmond said.
Richmond along with Jack Martin, another former president, both helped develop the idea of a shelter and were honoured with cutting the big red ribbon on Thursday. However, May said the shelter was not fully completed, with the zoo wanting to collect run-off water from its roof to use around the zoo.
Mayor Neil Holdom was at the ceremony and spoke to the small crowd about his fond memories of his father being in a Lions Club when he was younger.
‘‘I’ve seen first hand the things Lions Clubs do,’’ he said.
The shelter was not the only spruce-up for the zoo, which attracts 113,000 visitors each year. Three new bins have been set up in the past week for recycling, compost and rubbish.