Businesses have been rallying to those in need by distributing food packages throughout the pandemic – but not quite as big as this delivery.
Tree cutter Mike Banham, who works for the local division of electricity supply firm UK Power Networks, arranged for them to deliver the huge quantities of vegetation after it had been safely cut away from overhead power lines to prevent power cuts.
MORE: Jarrold announces redundancies as ‘Covid crisis’ hits high streetFive truck loads of poplar trees and four loads of woodchips were dropped off at the zoo as a tasty meal for the animals. The poplar was fed to the giraffes and also camels, zebra and goats while the woodchip was put in different animal enclosures.
Mr Banham said: “I checked with the zoo to ensure we had suitable species of vegetation and we delivered five truck loads of poplar and four loads of woodchips. The zoo has needed to close during the pandemic, but still has a significant animal food bill so we wanted to help.
“We have followed this with a delivery of willow and will do what we can to keep helping the zoo going forward.”
The charity which runs Banham Zoo, near Diss, and Africa Alive!, in Suffolk, ZESA, the Zoological Society of East Anglia, has said it hopes to reopen next month, after stating it would be making job cuts and desperately needed to start welcoming visitors again.
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