Young offenders join zoo food program

16/1/03
Juveniles incarcerated in the Banksia Hill Detention Centre have embarked on an innovative project to help the Perth Zoo access the specialised plant foods needed by some zoo animals.
Koalas, elephants, Nepalese Red Pandas, kangaroos, primates and Sun Bears are among the animals that will benefit from the scheme, which involves detainees growing and harvesting the plant fodder inside the detention centre.
The young offenders will participate in all aspects of planting, maintaining and harvesting the produce.
Justice Minister Jim McGinty said apart from benefiting the zoo, the project would help instil discipline and a sense of responsibility among detainees.
While Perth Zoo grows much of its own fodder and browse crops, Mr McGinty said it needed to supplement its supply from outside organisations, due to some large and very specialised appetites.
For example, the zoo's colony of 10 Sumatran Orang-utans consumed about four 53 litre-sized bins of Mirror Plant and Fijian Fire Plant cuttings each day, while three of its pandas consumed up to two 53 litre-sized bins of bamboo each day.
The detention centre has the potential to eventually provide about 25 per cent of the Perth Zoo's total fodder needs.
Mr McGinty said the exotic plant species would be planted within the Banksia precinct, with zoo staff providing technical support for development of the garden beds and fodder harvesting.
Eventually, up to 2,000 plants will be grown to supplement the dietary requirements of Perth Zoo's animals.
Mr McGinty said the fodder project was one of several new initiatives under way at Banksia Hill, including working with Rotary to provide a range of native shrubs for the 'Greening the Freeways' project, and developing an Army Cadet Unit for the centre, the first to be established in an Australian detention facility.
"While Banksia Hill detainees represent less than 0.2 per cent of the State's 10 to17-year-olds, they are among the worst repeat offenders in the community," he said.
"These initiatives not only provide a service for the community, they give the detainees a sense of purpose, discipline and worth that can be invaluable in trying to turn around their offending behaviour."

Minister's office: 9220 5000