From Packaging to Nesting
You can help provide wellness materials for animals in our care.
Every day we provide a wide variety of needs to our animal residents. While some of these items can be easily acquired, some can be a bit harder to find due to availability and cost. One of these items is called wood wool.
Wood wool, also known as excelsior, are long wood shavings cut from logs that can be found in packaging such as bird baths or ceramic pots. Bonobos, gorillas, penguins, hand-reared chicks and fruit fly cultures are some species that use wood wool.
Not only does wood wool provide animals warm bedding during the cooler months, but it also provides enrichment through the opportunity to engage in natural nesting and foraging behaviors.
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens uses about 120 bales of wood wool per year, amounting to around $5,000 in costs -- and we could use more! Additionally, wood wool is not accepted in curbside garbage. Donating this material not only helps save the Zoo money, but it's also a more earth-friendly option for repurposing as animal bedding.
Would you like to help provide wood wool to the animals? Please read the Frequently Asked Questions below for more information or contact us at wolfgangt@jacksonvillezoo.org.
Email wolfgangt@jacksonvillezoo.org to schedule drop-off or pick-up of your wood wool donation.