The lemurs at Woburn Safari Park were given some new toys this week in the form of decommissioned fire hoses.

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue service have donated their decommissioned hoses to the lemurs at Woburn Safari Park to create "a new ladder, a hammock, a feeder, a swing" and much more.

The idea came from an animal keeper at the safari park who approached Bucks Fire and Rescue looking for equipment to build enrichment opportunities for lemurs and squirrel monkeys.

Coincidentally, the fire service was looking for ways to dispose of a batch of their firefighting hoses which were "designated as beyond repair" and "at the end of their serviceable life".

According to Tony Hart, the service's Asset Management Technician, the email from Woburn Safari Park "came in at the perfect time".

He added: "When this opportunity came up, we were thrilled to think that our old equipment could be donated to the animals."

The donations were given to the park's ring-tailed lemurs, red-bellied lemurs and black and white ruffed lemurs. 

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Catherine Doherty, Acting Head of Animal Encounters said the keepers at the park had many "fantastic ideas" for the hoses and that "it won't be long before they're put to great use!"

She added that the "kind donation" allows Woburn Safari Park to provide enriching activities for the lemurs to keep their "minds and bodies active and help the animals engage their natural instincts".

The hoses are 25 metres long and made of Duraline which is a high-grade synthetic rubber and polyamide jacket, meaning that "when a hose is beyond repair, it is decommissioned and unfortunately does not have many disposal options". 

Tony explained: "While we do repair and cut down hoses, there comes a point when it is no longer a viable or safe option."

Therefore, donating the hoses to the safari park lemurs allowed for the equipment to be recycled rather than disposed of.

Following the success of the donation, Tony noted that "there is scope for us to build on this, as other large animals at this park or others may be able to benefit from future batches of fire hose or other larger pieces of equipment, such as old tyres from appliances and vans when we need to dispose of them."