You know what they say - everybody poops. That includes the animals you see at the zoo. But a partnership is turning that poo into power for your plants.

One of the animals contributing is rhino Mohan. He enjoys snacks during the day, but what goes in, must come out and when it does, it’s no small feat.

“How many pounds are we talking about?” asked Spectrum News 1 Buffalo.

“It's several hundred a week and it kind of adds up quickly," said Lisa Smith, interim president and CEO of the Buffalo Zoo. "So over 700,000 pounds of poop every year.”

For the past few years, the zoo has partnered with NOCO, so instead of letting all of that pile up at the zoo or in a landfill, it’s put to good use as compost.

“It gets, you know, transformed over a year or two with the processes at the compost site to really turn it into a product that's reused again,” explained Smith.

That process happens at Buffalo River Compost.

“We're in the business of lowering greenhouse gas emissions, promoting a sustainable product, reducing the impact of landfills,” explained Alistair Holden, organics manager at Buffalo River Compost.

You can see the piles as they change.

“Fourteen species of herbivores from the Buffalo Zoo are seen in this material," said Holden. "You can kind of see, we're turning as we go, new ingredients get added, and as we work our way to the right here you'll see a final product.”

Over time, it breaks down, being turned every now and again to keep the temperature and moisture down, literally not making a stink.

“A finished compost product does not have an odor," said Holden. "That's one of the indicators of a mature product ready for sale in the community.”

It's perfect for putting in new plants and shrubs.

“Installing a little compost at the base of the hole will reduce the watering needs," said Holden. "It promotes root zone development and it really makes the growing process a lot easier.”

“He’s using those back teeth to really grind it up," said Smith as Mohan chewed on a treat.

As Mohan and the 13 other herbivore species at the zoo keep chowing down, this partnership will make sure that when they answer nature’s call, it doesn’t go to waste.

And it’s not just zoo poo that’s composted at the site. Waste from landscapers, breweries and more are also reused.

If you’re interested in finding out more or picking up your own compost, click here.