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Prague zoo to sell elephant droppings

To visitors as souvenir

The Prague Zoo is the first Czech zoo to sell elephant droppings to visitors as an unusual souvenir that can also be used to manure garden plants, zoo managers have told journalists.

"I believe that garden owners will appreciate our new item on sale," zoo director Miroslav Bobek said.

"In view of my surname, I've simply have had to launch the project," he added, smiling. Bobek is the Czech word for a piece of dung.

In Europe, elephant dung has been sold by the Schoenbrunn zoo, for example, but Czech zoos have not offered it so far.

Each of the Prague zoo's three elephants daily consumes about two metric centners of branches, sticks, roots and grass. Each of them produces 140 to 180 kilograms of excrements every day, zoo attendant Pavel Brendl said.

Bobek said if elephant droppings sold well, the zoo would consider extending the offer to include excrements of other animals or special Asian and African mixtures.

Bobek said Prague applied for the Czech-made label for the elephant droppings on sale but its request "has not met with understanding."

The zoo started selling the droppings at weekends, beginning Saturday 23rd April 2011. A bucket with 1.5 kg of droppings will cost 70 crowns. Because of customers interest Prague Zoo sells right now trhe whole week.

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