DUDLEY Zoo has put out a plea for bamboo roots so it can grow more plants to provide food for its red pandas.

The red panda’s diet consists of about 65 per cent bamboo as the zoo likes to mimic what they would feed on in the wild.

They also eat mushrooms, fruit, roots, acorns, lichen, grasses and occasionally supplement their diet with fish and insects.

Section Leader Jay Haywood said: “If people would be kind enough to donate any unwanted roots we could then plant them on site and grow a good supply for our red pandas.

“We are not looking for cuttings or leaves, but the roots of the plant so we can build up our bamboo reserves for the future.”

Anyone who can help should bring their bamboo roots to the main zoo entrance inside the Safari Gift Shop and leave them with the customer services team.