Dudley Zoo insects given new home thanks to donation

The donation was made by the Cannabis Disposal Team of West Midlands Police after the attraction made an online plea for garden canes.

The giant woody grass can be used to build bug houses at the 40-acre site. The donated bamboo has come from cannabis factories which police have raided during drug operations.

Dudley Zoo Conservation Officer Chris Leeson said: "We're very grateful to West Midlands Police for thinking of us.

"The hollow stems of bamboo canes are ideal shelters for insects and provide somewhere safe for them to hibernate in over the winter.

"Thanks to the donation by the Cannabis Disposal Team and to the other individual gardeners who gave us their unwanted canes over the last few weeks we can now provide more bug hotels for the thousands of insect species living across our zoo site and give them a safe haven for the coming colder months."

The zoo is home to 24,000 species of different insects from the United Kingdom alone.

The zoo says insects are the most diverse and ecologically important group of animals - as they eat pests, pollinate plants and attract other wildlife like birds.

Police bosses from the Cannabis Disposal Team say they get a great deal of satisfaction in helping the community by donating seized items.

West Midlands Police Cannabis Disposal Team member, Lee Wilkins, said: "We regularly donate soil and garden equipment that has been seized from illegal cannabis farms to local charities and projects.

"We get a great deal of satisfaction donating seized equipment back to the community.

"As soon as we noticed the appeal on the Dudley Zoo Twitter feed for bamboo canes we were more than happy to donate to the bug hotel.

"We hope the visitors to Dudley Zoo enjoy the bug hotel as much as the bugs will!"

For more information about the attraction visit www.dudleyzoo.org.uk