- Title: Prague zoo visitors turn dung into stationery
- Date: 11th April 2016
- Summary: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (APRIL 7, 2016)(REUTERS) ELEPHANT IN ENCLOSURE VARIOUS NEW-BORN ELEPHANT WITH HIS MOTHER JANITA AND ANOTHER FEMALE ELEPHANT IN ENCLOSURE VISITORS WATCHING ELEPHANTS ELEPHANTS IN ENCLOSURE ELEPHANT DUNG (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) PRAGUE ZOO DIRECTOR, MIROSLAV BOBEK, SAYING: "I have seen that production of handmade paper from elephant dung in Pinavala, Sri Lanka, where we just got two female elephants from. I got interested, we took and developed this idea and finally we build this small paper workshop, where the visitors can make their own 'elephant' paper from the elephant dung." PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (APRIL 11, 2016)(REUTERS) ELEPHANT KEEPER ARRIVING TO COLLECT DUNG VARIOUS OF KEEPER COLLECTING ELEPHANT DUNG ELEPHANT DUNG VISITORS WALKING TOWARDS PAPER WORKSHOP BOARD DESCRIBING ELEPHANT DUNG PAPER PRODUCTION YOUNG PEOPLE ARRIVING AT PAPER WORKSHOP PRAGUE ZOO WORKER, JAN BLAZEK, EXPLAINING DUNG PAPER PRODUCTION SAMPLES DESCRIBING ELEPHANT DUNG PROCESSING: PURE DUNG, DUNG MIXED WITH CLOTH, GRANULATE, DISSOLVED GRANULATE STUDENTS LISTENING VARIOUS OF STUDENT PREPARING HER OWN PAPER PAPER PRESS WITH ZOO LOGO ON IT STUDENT PRESSING PAPER PAPER WITH ZOO WATERMARK (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) PRAGUE ZOO WORKER, JAN BLAZEK, SAYING: "We have more than enough (elephant) dung here. We collect it, wash it, disinfect it and rinse it and than we send it to Velke Losiny (paper mill), where they prepare for us the dry granulate." DRY GRANULATE VARIOUS OF BLAZEK PRESSING PAPER BLAZEK PLACING PAPER ON NET STUDENTS WATCHING BLAZEK PUTTING PAPER AWAY TO DRY PAPER
- Embargoed: 26th April 2016 15:37
- Keywords: elephants dung paper zoo
- Location: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
- City: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
- Country: Czech Republic
- Topics: Living/Lifestyle,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0014CXC0U1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Visitors to the elephant enclosure at the Prague zoo are mostly coming to see the newly born baby elephant. But the cute animal - and its bigger relatives - leave behind a lot of waste. It used to be thrown away, but Prague zoo has come up with a scheme to use the waste and improve the humans-animal awareness - visitors have a chance to get their hands dirty and make their own paper out of the animal's dung.
Elephant dung collected in their enclosures goes through a process, which allows for it to be turned into paper by visitors willing to learn the technique.
"I have seen that production of handmade paper from elephant dung in Pinavala, Sri Lanka, where we just got two female elephants from. I got interested, we took and developed this idea and finally we build this small paper workshop, where the visitors can make their own 'elephant' paper from the elephant dung," said Prague Zoo Director, Miroslav Bobek, about the new project.
The production of paper from elephant dung is possible thanks to the animal's imperfect digestion process, which leaves a lot of undigested, but thoroughly shredded, plant fabric.
The zoo sends the disinfected dung to a local paper mill, where it is turned into a proper paper base.
"We have more than enough (elephant) dung here. We collect it, wash it, disinfect it and rinse it and than we send it to Velke Losiny (paper mill), where they prepare for us the dry granulate," explained zoo worker in charge of the paper production, Jan Blazek.
Students attending the workshop got hands-on experience with paper-making, producing sheets of some of the finest elephant dung paper. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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