Parks Victoria deliver fallen apples for Melbourne Zoo’s biggest eaters
When a load of apples fell from a truck on the Monash Freeway last Thursday, Parks Victoria staff were quickly on the scene to clear the fruit where it had fallen on the Main Yarra Trail near Burnley.
A Parks Victoria spokeswoman said 22 staff members were assigned to clean up the shared bike and pedestrian trail and one, who had a contact at the zoo, organised to collect the unspoilt fruit for the animals.
Without being able to access the site by road it took seven hours to load 30 boxes of good apples onto a barge on the Yarra River.
The barge then returned to the Burnley Harbour where the fruit could be loaded into a truck and sent to the zoo.
Parks Victoria’s ranger, Dave Moore, said it was a delight to see the elephants enjoying their unexpected windfall.
“It was quite a clean-up job, and there was a a fantastic team effort put in by all the Parks Victoria rangers and City Link staff to get the apples off the trail. We were all pleased the elephants were able to benefit,” Mr Moore said.
“I really enjoyed seeing the elephants enjoying their unexpected treat the next day.”
Melbourne Zoo spokeswoman Judith Henke said the elephants were the main beneficiaries of the fallen apples but some primates, hippos, South American coatis, red pandas and others also got a fruity feed.
Ms Henke said it wasn’t the first time Parks Victoria staff had helped with zoo feeds. A load of weeds from Yarra Bend Park have in the past made a sweet treat for the giraffes.
Ms Henke said the Melbourne Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market also often donated excess produce to the animals.
Source: www.heraldsun.com.au
