TCWR celebrates International Pooper Scooper Week April 1-7. International Pooper Scooper Week was established by the Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (APAWS) to raise awareness among pet owners about the importance of scooping up our pet waste to prevent potentially dangerous illnesses from being spread. Animal feces can carry numerous diseases and parasites that pose risks to both animals and humans. Additionally, improper pet waste management can negatively impact the environment by contaminating water supplies. Parasite eggs can survive on surfaces and in the soil for extended periods. This means if a pet is infected with parasite poops and its owner does not pick it up, those parasites can go on to infect any other animal or person that comes in contact with the feces, the soil around it, or any contaminated surfaces. Help mitigate this issue by following APAWS’ advice – scoop the poop!
Here at TCWR, with 100+ animals, scooping poop is a part of our daily routine. Big cats, small cats, and bears poop a lot! Regular cleaning of night-houses, dens, and grassy habitats is essential to maintaining proper living conditions for animals in captivity. Many of our residents were rescued from neglectful situations where their feces were not cleaned up, forcing them to live in their excrement, causing numerous health issues and trauma. Now, they reside in a clean habitat, where waste is removed regularly – never having to endure those conditions again.
How do we scoop the poop?
Our keepers use two tools to scoop poop: a poop hoe and a shovel. The poop hoe is a long metal pole that help pull the waste onto the shovel, which is then collected in a bucket. The entire habitat is carefully scanned to ensure all the poop has been scooped.
What happens after the poop is scooped?
Poop smells! So, what do we do with it? We compost the animals’ waste. There is an area on the refuge dedicated to our compost piles. While the risk of infected feces is low due to the veterinary care the animals at TCWR receive, collecting the poop of our animals and keeping it separate from other areas allows us to mitigate the spread of any pathogens or parasites. The feces are collected, buried, and rotated in compost piles, reducing our environmental footprint.
Why is poop-scooping important for animal health?
By monitoring the color, size, consistency, and contents of each animal’s waste, our keepers can detect any health changes – whether positive or negative. This information is reported to our animal curator and veterinarian to ensure the animals remain as healthy as possible.
When you visit the refuge, you will inevitably spot a keeper scooping poop – it’s just part of the job!