EARLY CLOSURE

The zoo will close early at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, 2026, for a private event.

A zebra with black and white stripes walks in front of a giraffe with a long neck and brown and white patterned fur; both animals are outdoors with green foliage in the background.

ZOO DOO COMPOST

The most “poopular” compost in the Pacific Northwest

GET The Scoop

Learn About Our Zoo Doo Program

Woodland Park Zoo’s Zoo Doo is the most exotic compost available in the Pacific Northwest. Zoo Doo is a fully composted blend of select animal manures mixed with bedding materials such as straw and wood chips from around the grounds of the zoo. As a conservation organization, Woodland Park Zoo is committed to being a steward of the environment and turning animal waste into a valuable resource is just one example of our sustainability efforts.

Read more about sustainability at the zoo

Whose Poop?

All the herbivores (plant-eating animals) and many carnivores (meat-eating animals) are happy to doo their part. Rhinos, giraffe, gorillas, tigers, zebras, and many more provide plenty of material to work with! Woodland Park Zoo composts approximately 500 tons of this animal waste each year—saving around $125,000 per year in disposal costs.

A close-up of a rhinoceros facing the camera, showing its thick, textured skin and a single horn on its nose. Another rhino is partially visible in the background.

Rhino

A close-up of a giraffes head and neck against a blurred green background. The giraffes mouth is slightly open, and its patterned fur and ossicones are clearly visible.

Giraffe

Close-up of a tigers face, showing its orange fur with black stripes, white whiskers, and intense eyes. Green plants are visible in the background.

Tiger

A close-up side view of a zebra standing outdoors, showing its black and white striped pattern with a blurred background of trees.

Zebra

Purchase Zoo Doo

Available Amounts

Zoo Doo is sold in bulk in the Spring and Fall only. Fall sale dates will be announced in the summer. Check back here for sale dates or use the button below to sign up for email updates.

For any questions about Zoo Doo, please email zoodoo@zoo.org.

Cancellations or changes must be made at least a week before your scheduled pick-up to receive a refund.

Get Zoo Doo Sale Updates

How Zoo Doo Pickups Work

All Zoo Doo pickups are shoveled by hand into containers and vehicles of your choice. For example, if you are buying 25 gallons, you could bring 5, 5-gallon buckets to fill. Container choice is entirely up to you!

  • We do not have the space to accommodate trailers of any kind at Fecal Fest.
  • If you are getting a truckload, please be prepared to fill your truck bed by hand. We do not have a loader available to assist.
  • We are a rain or shine event. Refunds will not be given in case of poor weather conditions.
  • Directions to the Zoo Doo yard will be provided via email after you register for a pickup slot using the links above.

Please note that we will only be offering the following pickup sizes:

Gallons

  • 25-gallons – $16.50
  • 50-gallons – $32.50
  • 75-gallons – $45
  • 100-gallons – $55

Truckloads

  • 4’x5’ pickup trucks (300-gallons) – $85
  • 4’x6’ pickup trucks (400-gallons) – $105
  • 5’x8’ pickup trucks (550-gallons) – $125

Creating Compost at the Zoo

How It’s Made

The process begins when fresh manure and bedding materials are collected from animal habitats. Next, the materials are taken to the Zoo Doo yard for composting. We use an Aerated Static Pile System to do the composting.

See how Zoo Doo gets made

Composting at Home

Woodland Park Zoo is not the only place composting can be done, nor does it have to be done on such a large scale. You can create your own compost in your own backyard. It makes sense for the zoo, why not for you?

Learn how to create your own compost