A house fit for a... Skunk! Guinness gets an eco-house at green award-winning zoo
8th Sep 2016
Keepers at Noah's Ark transporting an inquisitive Guinness to his new home.
A lucky skunk called Guinness has this week taken up residence in a special eco-house created for him at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, the South West's green-award winning zoo. The stripey 5 year old male skunk, a favourite of Keepers at the 100 acre animal park due to his inquisitive and friendly nature, took in the sights and smells of a new wooden house made using reclaimed materials in the zoo's North America section. Gold award-winners in the Green Tourism Business Scheme, Noah's Ark is not new to the idea of sustainable practise - in the past two years the park has installed two of the UK's highest profile 'green' zoo habitats; Elephant Eden, a 20 acre paradise for nature's biggest mammal and Andean Adventure, a South American landscaped playground for Spectacled Bears. Using the skills of their experienced Grounds team who are used to creating naturalistic and carbon-reducing enclosures, Guinness now has everything a skunk could wish for in his new home. A warm wooden house, uniquely insulated with sheep's wool cavity filling and built from recycled timber, a dry yard and a spacious grass area to explore once he's settled in.
The design of the new development was fabricated using a range of re-purposed materials, including metalwork and hinges leftover from the recently completed bear habitat and wooden panelling from sheds saved from previous projects. Noah’s Ark Deputy Grounds Manager Mike Bradly comments: “We’re glad to give this new home to Guinness and see him enjoying his new surroundings. Our team are keen to be sustainable in these projects and we’re used to being inventive in reusing materials and harnessing natural products from the environment around us. Guinness is pretty inquisitive, so we’re sure visitors will enjoy the opportunity to see him”. Situated in the North America section on the main visitor route around the zoo, Guinness will be neighbours to a growing family of Prairie Dogs. Keepers hope to find a mate for Guinness soon, with the new home being more than big enough for two!
Guinness taking his first steps out to his yard.
Sure to be a popular addition to the park, if you're planning a visit to see him check out our opening times and prices and find out a little more about the zoo and our other animals.
