ANIMALS at Dudley Zoo got to grips with their own paper planets to celebrate Earth Day.

Senior Keeper Stacey Evans and her daughter Lilly recycled newspaper to make papier mâché globes which were filled with treats and given to the meerkats, Azara’s agouti, kangaroos and Carpathian lynx yesterday (Sunday).

The enrichment activity saw the Azara’s agouti and kangaroos dig in to leaves and branches, the meerkats scour the earth for mealworms and the lynx track down curry powder, as a fun way to share the message of the international awareness day, which celebrates the planet and focuses on the environmental issues it faces.

Conservation officer, Chris Leeson, said everything is reused and recycled across the zoo's 40-acre site - with waste from animals, offices and the restaurant all put to good use.

He said: “To protect the earth for generations to come, we need to take action now and even simple changes can make a huge difference.

“At the zoo, all old animal bedding and waste is turned into compost and cardboard boxes and plastic bottles are used for animal enrichment or recycled.

“Any trees which are cut down are used as food or climbing frames for animals or turned into woodchip for enclosures and pathways.

“Leftover fats and oils used in the restaurant are used to create biofuels to run vehicles and the cutlery, made from plant starch, is completely compostable and breaks down in soil after just a few weeks.”