Riverbanks Zoo and Garden will take a load off this Saturday, when it launches the sale of Riverbanks comPOOst; an all natural, composted Zoo poo, effortlessly produced by some of our most famous animals: elephants, giraffe 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.

The product will officially drop on Saturday, May 1. The serious gardener can pre-order a load (approximately one cubic-yard) of comPOOst at www.compoost.org. Pint-size and two-gallon buckets will be available on the plant carts at the Zoo and Garden entrances throughout the year. Load quantities are limited and are expected to sell-out quickly.

“The first sale will be a trial run and we hope to host bulk sales at least four times per year,” said Davis.

From start to finish the comPOOsting process takes about three months. Each day, approximately 1500lbs. of manure is deposited in the comPOOst pile (nearly 75 percent comes from Riverbanks’ four African elephants).

For video, photos and the latest scoop on our poop, visit www.compoost.org.