I saw this video of some polar bears playing with firehose toys, and my wheels started turning. We use firehose for a lot of toys, hammocks, climbing structures, etc for a variety of animals. It's an incredibly tough substance, and, since fire departments are always having to get new hoses and have old ones they're giving away, the supply is fairly steady. Not many people outside of zoos (or fire departments) have that much hands-on experience with the stuff, though. A lot of folks watching the video were surprised at how strong the material is.
Years ago, when I was very young and local TV was still a thing, I remember a commercial for a local carpet company. They went to my local zoo, which at the time still had lots of the old style cages, and placed carpeting in several of the bear and big cat cages. The animals, predictably, made a mess with them - but the company was able to demonstrate that their carpet was able to hold up even against large wild animals, remaining intact and even being cleanable afterwards. If our carpeting can stand up to a bear, the messaging went, surely it's tough enough for your kids and dog!
Maybe there's a market out there somewhere for advertising for "zoo tough" products. Probably not carpeting, mind you, because we're generally not going to put that even in our staff areas. But an unkinkable hose that can be used in any weather? Cable ties that the most determined macaw can't crack open? Work gloves that are flexible enough to let you finger through your 5000 keys in the dead of winter? Truck beds that can handle large pieces of deadfall being hauled around the zoo?
Corporate sponsorships via endorsements - that would be a neat trick to pull off. Because I guarantee, if a product is tough enough to work at the zoo, I'm sure it's more than tough enough for your home.
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