Poo is stinky subject that a lot of us shy away from.  But it’s essential to life! Here’s a few fascinating faecal facts to help you see the lighter side!

Size Matters

The prize for world’s largest poo should probably go to the blue whale.  Consuming up to 3.6 tonnes of food each day must produce a hefty poop – but it’s not the easiest poo to weigh! On land the African elephant (our largest land mammal) produces up to 135kg of poo a day and definitely deserves at least a big poop badge!

Toilet Treasure

Did you know there’s a very small amount of gold and other rare metals inside human poos? One study suggests that waste from one million American could contain as much as £8.6m worth of metals. This waste is normally either converted to fertiliser to use on crops or incinerated. 

Excrement Energy

Poop is not just worth money in gold, it’s a potential source of power too.  The A4 bus from Bristol to Bath is powered by poop.  The bus has been created to run on biomethane gas produced through sewage treatment.  On a full tank the bus can travel up to 186 miles and creates 30% fewer emissions than standard diesel buses.    That’s not all… your pooch’s poop could hold more power than you’d think.  If you visit the Malvern Hills in the UK you can see a poop-powered street light.  Ten dog poos will charge the light for 2 hours.  Now that’s a movement in the right direction :)

Poo or Die

Some animals eat their own poop.  That’s right! In fact it’s essential to many animals that they do so.  Hamsters need to eat their night-time poops.  They are an essential source of vitamin b12.  Likewise, guinea pigs need to eat their own poo.  Failing to do so can even be fatal.  Many baby animals eat their mother’s poo as it contains bacteria that helps them digest their food.  Some herbivores such as hares eat their poo to use up the last bits of difficult-to-digest nutrients. 

So you see, next time your dog or cat needs you to take charge of their waste, think of all the amazing uses for poop that are out there.  Maybe it’s not so horrible after all :)

References:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32026636

https://money.cnn.com/2014/11/24/technology/bus-poo-environment/index.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-42565633

https://firsthamster.com/hamster-is-eating-his-own-poop/

 The Pooniverse by Paul Mason and Fran Bueno.  Waylandbooks.co.uk

Photo by Mathias Elle