ZOO DOO COMPOST
The most "poopular" compost in the Pacific Northwest
GET The Scoop
Learn About Our Zoo Doo Program
Woodland Park Zoo's Zoo Doo is the most exotic compost available in the Pacific Northwest. Zoo Doo is a fully composted blend of select animal manures mixed with bedding materials such as straw and wood chips from around the grounds of the zoo. As a conservation organization, Woodland Park Zoo is committed to being a steward of the environment and turning animal waste into a valuable resource is just one example of our sustainability efforts.
Read more about sustainability at the zoo
Changes to the Zoo Doo Program
The May sale is for buckets only, no truckloads.
The June sale is for buckets and truckloads.
This year, look for changes to improve access to Zoo Doo and get it in your gardens sooner! Come back to this page on May 1st to sign up and order for the May and June sale.
How to Purchase Zoo Doo
JUNE SALE
Whose Poop?
All the herbivores (plant-eating animals) are happy to doo their part. Rhinos, giraffe, hippos, mountain goats, zebras, and many more provide plenty of material to work with! Woodland Park Zoo composts approximately 500 tons of this animal waste each year—saving around $125,000 per year in disposal costs.
Rhino
Giraffe
Hippopotamus
Zebra
Creating Compost at the Zoo
How it’s Made
The process begins when fresh manure and bedding materials are collected from animal enclosures. Next, the materials are taken to the Zoo Doo yard for composting. The active composting phase lasts 30 days and the piles maintain temperatures between 135°F and 160°F, which allows for optimal decomposition of organic materials as well as destroying weed seeds and potential pathogens.
Active composting is followed by secondary composting, or curing, which is the decomposition process slowing down as the microbes finish breaking down the materials. During this phase, temperatures in the pile decrease, and the compost matures into a dark and crumby humus. After this 30 or more day process, the material looks and smells like rich organic soil or mulch, bearing little resemblance to its original components. Now it’s ready for use in home gardens!
COMPOSTING AT HOME