Firefighters donate hoses to zoo animals in Maidenhead

Some of the hoses were used to make racks for food

Zoo animals have been enjoying an unusual donation from firefighters.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) has gifted several used rubber hoses to Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) Zoo in Maidenhead.

Monkeys, lemurs and various other creatures have been using the former life-saving equipment as toys, hammocks and feeders.

Fire hoses are a great material for zoo animals due to their toughness and durability, the fire service said.

Most fire hoses in England are made from a woven nylon core with a nitrile rubber jacket

BCA Zoo sits on the college's 400-acre campus and is home to more than 100 different species, including meerkats, scorpions and tortoises.

The facility provides practical training to students enrolled on animal management courses.

RBFRS said it was pleased to re-purpose old materials in a sustainable way that benefitted animals living in the zoo.

The hoses have been given to some endangered ring-tailed lemurs at the zoo

Follow BBC South on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].