Video: Riverbanks Zoo's Smelly Business

What does the zoo do with all the poo? 

They sell it, of course. 

Riverbanks Zoo is now accepting orders for its comPOOst, all-nautral composted poo from the zoo's elephants, giraffes and zebras. 

Every day, about 1,500 pounds of manure is deposited in the comPOOst pile. Most of that comes from the zoo's four African elephants. 

The comPOOsting process takes about three months from start to finish. To hear more about the process, watch Riverbanks' Curator of Mammals John Davis explain how it works in the video above.

Removing 1,500 pounds of manure from the zoo every day used to cost the zoo in both money and time, Davis said. Now, the sale of the comPOOst generates revenue for the zoo's conservation efforts. 

"The benefit is that what was once a hindrance to the operation is now a huge benefit to conservation because all the proceeds in revenue generated from this operation goes directly into our conservation support fund and supports many of the animals in their range countries that are contributing to our comPOOst operation," Davis said.

Gardeners can pre-order about a cubic yard of comPOOst for $43 on the zoo's website. There is a limit of two loads per order.

The scheduled pick-up time is 4:30 to 8 p.m. March 23. 

Pint-size and two-gallon buckets of comPOOst are available at the Zoo and Garden entrances throughout the year.

Visit the zoo's special comPOOst website for more information.