Dudley Zoo and Castle’s sweetcorn loving binturong, Ellie, has her snacks sorted for this week’s open-air cinema events.

As a special enrichment treat, zoo keepers popped sweetcorn kernels in the microwave, before serving the unflavoured treat to the four-year-old bearcat, who quickly tucked in! Senior Keeper Joshua Luxton, said:

“Sweetcorn is Ellie’s favourite food and we often spot her stealing it from her den mate, Connie, the Asian Palm Civet, when she’s not looking!
 
“Ahead of the zoo’s cinema events we thought we’d try popping some sweetcorn kernels and see what she thought of those, as you can’t beat popcorn and a film and she did taste a couple, although Elliot, our male binturong, wasn’t keen.
 
“Interestingly, the Southeast Asian native species naturally smells of hot buttered popcorn, not due to their diet, which here at the zoo typically consists of chicken breast, boiled eggs and fruit and vegetables, but because of a chemical in their urine, so make sure you have a sniff at their enclosure when you next visit.”
 
Cinema guests are welcome to bring their own popcorn and snacks to the zoo’s three evening film shows in the courtyard of Dudley Castle, with the attraction screening The Greatest Showman on Thursday (Aug 5), Jurassic Park on Friday and The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Saturday at 9.30pm each night, with gates opening at 7pm.
 
And there’s still time to purchase tickets, which are priced £17.50 from the zoo’s website or by calling 01384 215313. Attendees are advised the events will go ahead whatever the weather, so to arrive prepared!