Shepreth Wildlife Park and the online rope company, Buy Rope, are requesting donations of natural fibre rope for the Park’s two Sumatran tigers, Kelabu and Ratna. The Park has been home to the two tigers, since they were transferred from Chessington World of Adventures in March this year. The park is also home to meerkats, macaques, emus, caiman and lynx. With numbers of Sumatran tigers in the wild estimated at between 300 and 500, Ratna (aged 16) was part of a breeding programme to keep the critically endangered tigers alive in captivity. Now retired from breeding, she lives at Shepreth with her daughter Kelabu (aged 11).

Rope is used to keep the tigers stimulated and encourages natural behaviour, which has a positive effect on their physical and mental health. Buy Rope was first approached by Shepreth in May and has since donated two large coir boat fenders, which have been a big hit with Kelabu in particular. Donations of old boat rope will help the park to continue to provide innovative enrichment, including the creation of a tiger-sized cat scratch-post!

Can you help?

If you have any natural fibre rope that you no longer need, the Park would love to hear from you. Please contact Alice Vassallo at alicervassallo@hotmail.co.uk or on 01763 262226. Or send rope directly, for the attention of Alice, to Shepreth Wildlife Park, Station Road, Shepreth, Nr. Royston, Herts., SG8 6PZ.

John Marlen-Summers

(www.buyrope.co.uk)