Columbia, S.C.-Riverbanks Zoo and Garden officials say it’s a great way to take a load off by selling for use as fertilizer composted droppings trademarked “comPOOst” produced by the elephants, giraffes, and zebras. “By taking a virtually unusable waste product and turning it into something that is beneficial to Riverbanks, the community, and the environment, we are being good stewards of the earth,” said John Davis, curator of mammals and manager of the comPOOst operation. May 1 was the first day of sale, but gardeners were able to pre-order online, and pint-size and two-gallon buckets will be available on the plant carts at the zoo and garden entrances throughout the year. “The first sale was a trial run, and we hope to host bulk sales at least four times per year,” said Davis. He said the comPOOsting process takes about three months, producing approximately 1,500 pounds each day for the comPOOst pile, 75 percent of which comes from Riverbanks’ four African elephants.
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