Smurfit Kappa creates toys for feline customers in Poland
The request was for a range of stimulating, recyclable toys that the lions and tigers would enjoy playing with. A team of designers from the Smurfit Kappa Gdansk Plant worked on creating pieces that were large enough for the animals to move in and out of, and free from tape, staples or glue.
A large structure consisting of interconnecting ‘houses’ was delivered to the zoo and aroused considerable curiosity amongst the feline recipients who quickly started to investigate them.
Alicja Mackiewicz looks after the behaviour and wellbeing of the animals in the Człuchówz zoo. Speaking about the toys she said: “Cats, as everyone knows, love cartons and lions and tigers are no exception apart from needing much larger boxes of course. Smurfit Kappa provided exactly the right thing and most of all they were perfectly safe.
“For the cubs especially, it was a completely new activity. There was a lot of cleaning up to do afterwards but we were happy to do it because the cats were so happy playing with the boxes.”
Jakub Świętek Innovation & Development Manager, Smurfit Kappa Poland, added: “In the past we created a corrugated ‘cat carrier’ which went on to win a Red Dot Design Award but this was the first line of products we created for big cats.
“It was wonderful to see these majestic animals playing with the toys. At Smurfit Kappa, we pride ourselves on finding the right solution for the customer, no matter how unusual or complex the brief is!”
Smurfit Kappa has a long history of working closely with the communities in which it operates.
A curious tiger investigating one of the corrugated toys