WORK is underway to give grazing animals at Marwell Zoo more variety in their diet, including herbs and meadow grass.
Staff hope by introducing these to the paddock, used by the giraffe, plains zebra and roan antelope, the animals will have further access to a range of grazing options with added nutritional benefits.
Thatch, moss and trailing weeds have been minimised and replaced with herbs such as chicory, sheeps parsley and salad burnet.
Work on the paddock began on Wednesday, March 1 with the grass being cut into to remove unwanted weeds before the paddock was reseeded with the special mix.
The zoo said the paddock will look “a little untidy until the new seeds grow” and it will take a few weeks for the area to look its best.
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A zoo spokesperson said: “When the seeds come through, guests can expect a paddock full of specially selected meadow mix and herbs that will provide lots of grazing opportunities for zebra and antelope.”
The newly planted seed is made up of tall fescue, strong creeping red fescue, meadow fescue, timothy and smooth stalked meadow grass.
The seed mix aims to replicate the variety of plant species that grazing animals would access in the wild.
Conservation charity, Marwell Wildlife, owns and operates Marwell zoo, which is home to species including giraffe, zebra, rhinoceros and Amur tigers.
The charity welcomes around 40,000 students a year with curriculum-based workshops and educational programmes.
For information and tickets go to marwell.org.uk.
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