Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in North Somerset has announced its most successful pumpkin harvest to date, with some 6,000 orange fruits set to appear at the zoo and conservation charity's annual Pumpkinfest this autumn.
The secret ingredient for the record-breaking crop? Heaps and heaps of elephant and rhino poo.
- Pumpkin picking: 10 best pumpkin patches in the UK
- Guide to the farming calendar: a year in the life of a British farmer
- Halloween in Britain: history and easy pumpkin recipes
Realising the potential of the dung was a fortunate accident, says Larry Bush, the Zoo’s Managing Director, explaining that the idea first sprouted when their elephants were given pumpkins as part of an enrichment program.
“Much to the team’s surprise, a patch of pumpkins began growing from the poo heap left by the elephants.
"That unexpected, but welcome, discovery led to the intentional cultivation of pumpkins, and now it’s one of the zoo’s most-loved seasonal activities.”
“Much to the team’s surprise, a patch of pumpkins began growing from the poo heap left by the elephants."
Since that lightbulb moment, the team have been cultivating large numbers of pumpkins every year, and 2024 is no different; more than 2,500 pumpkin plants have taken root in the nutrient-rich compost made from the resident elephants and rhinos.
“The combination of a mild, wet summer and the natural fertiliser from our animals has led to one of our best harvests yet,” Bush explains, with 6,000 pumpkins set to showcase at the annual Pumpkinfest.
It's not just the number of pumpkins that's impressive, but the variety, too.
“This year, we have everything from honey bear pumpkins to textured warty goblins, with plenty of other varieties in between. There really is a pumpkin for everyone!”
Pumpkinfest runs from 1st of October to 3rd November. Visitors can purchase pumpkins from the Farm Shop or pick them directly from a family friendly, wheelchair-accessible pumpkin patch.
To find out more, visit the Noah's Ark Zoo Farm website.
More stories from the British countryside
