Café Roof Provides Animal Sanctuary Pond with the ‘Bear Necessities’

TWO RESCUED BEARS from Azerbaijan, Benji and Balu, are keeping cool this summer in a new rainwater pond fed by run-off from the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary café roof.

A £200,000 grant from Southern Water helped Wildheart to install a Sustainable urban Drainage System or ‘SuDS Safari’ – which the bear pond is part of – to retain rainwater and promote biodiversity within the sanctuary.

The system’s tanks harvest rainwater from the café roof before it makes its way down to the bear pond, keeping the animals happy and refreshed whilst reducing demand on local water resources at a time of hosepipe bans for households across the Isle of Wight where the sanctuary is located.

This results in less pressure being placed on the sewer network, reducing the risks of flooding and storm overflows.

Benji and Balu

‘Bear Necessities’

Joanne Wood, Partnerships Delivery Manager at Southern Water, said: “It has been so exciting to help the sanctuary and its amazing animals.

“Managing the water cycle better here will in turn help the environment beyond its boundaries, reducing the number of storm overflows and flooding incidents which will all contribute to healthier rivers and seas on the Isle of Wight.”

>> Read more about SuDS systems in the news