Fecal Condition Scoring Resource Center
Fecal Condition Scoring Resource Center : Fecal condition scores and fecal color provide insight into how a diet is being digested by an animal and the Continue ReadingFecal Condition Scoring Resource Center→
Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition Foundation (ZWNF) Announces EDUCATION AND TRAVEL Grant Opportunity
Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition Foundation (ZWNF) Announces EDUCATION AND TRAVEL Grant Opportunity : The Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition Foundation (ZWNF) is a non-profit organization established for the purpose of: – contributing expertise and Continue ReadingZoo and Wildlife Nutrition Foundation (ZWNF) Announces EDUCATION AND TRAVEL Grant Opportunity→
Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition Foundation (ZWNF) Announces RESEARCH Grant Opportunity
Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition Foundation (ZWNF) Announces RESEARCH Grant Opportunity : The Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition Foundation (ZWNF) is a non-profit organization established for the purpose of: – contributing expertise and Continue ReadingZoo and Wildlife Nutrition Foundation (ZWNF) Announces RESEARCH Grant Opportunity→
Toronto Zoo Selects SCARF Nutrition Resident
Toronto Zoo Selects SCARF Nutrition Resident :                                We are pleased to announce the appointment of Sarra Gourlie to the position of SCARF Continue ReadingToronto Zoo Selects SCARF Nutrition Resident→
The Hungry Hungry Hippo
The Hungry Hungry Hippo : Featuring a great inter-institutional collaboration! “A hippo, an orangutan, and a scientist walk into a milk bar…” or so our Continue ReadingThe Hungry Hungry Hippo→
Practical Zoo Nutrition Management to be held 7-11 May 2018
Practical Zoo Nutrition Management to be held 7-11 May 2018 : Practical Zoo Nutrition Management (7-11 May 2018) The Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation in Front Royal, VA is happy to announce Continue ReadingPractical Zoo Nutrition Management to be held 7-11 May 2018→
Guidelines for the Humane and Ethical Acquisition and Management of Vertebrate Feeder Animals (Excluding Fish)
Guidelines for the Humane and Ethical Acquisition and Management of Vertebrate Feeder Animals (Excluding Fish) :
Body Condition Scoring Resource Center
Body Condition Scoring Resource Center : The following body condition scoring (BCS) scales have been obtained from a variety of sources.  We have credited the authors Continue ReadingBody Condition Scoring Resource Center→
Zoo Nutrition Myth: A fruit is a fruit
Zoo Nutrition Myth: A fruit is a fruit : The nutrient composition of domestic fruits, which have been selected and cultivated for sweetness, differs greatly from their wild counterparts.  A Continue ReadingZoo Nutrition Myth: A fruit is a fruit→

Vitamin D metabolites 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D and Kidney function indices and the relationship to diet in Goeldi’s monkeys (Callimico goeldii)

In Brookfield Zoo’s Goeldi’s monkey colony, a large number of deaths related to renal disease has been documented. Review of post-mortem results from Goeldi’s monkeys in the past 20 years revealed that in deaths of animals over 18 months of age, renal disease was a primary pathologic diagnosis. Although the nutrient requirements of Goeldi’s monkeys have not been described, these...

Exhibiting animals in large naturalistic exhibit: without prey or predator

Modern zoos are increasingly inclined to exhibit animals in more naturalistic surroundings, often in large mixed species exhibits, and the Biodôme de Montréal is no exception. The Biodôme is subdivided into four sections representing specific ecosystems. The First ecosystem, the tropical rainforest, represents Amazonia and all species of trees and animals are from South America. The Laurentian forest, the St....

Influence of diet transition on serum calcium and phosphorus in captive giraffe

Pathology in captive giraffe is relatively common and has often been attributed to nutritional causes. It was hypothesized that reducing dietary starch and phosphorus (P) would change serum mineral concentrations to be more in line with typical mammalian values. Captive giraffe (n=6, Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha NE), previously fed a commercially available diet, were transitioned to a reduced starch diet...

The effect of fish analog diet on beluga whale (Delpinapterus leucas) health and body condition

In zoos and aquariums the staple diet for marine mammals is freshly thawed, previously frozen fish and squid. Feeding a variety of fish to captive piscivores can be a major challenge to institutions, due to cost and availability thereby making a readily available prepared fish analogbased diet very appealing. Past studies feeding the Mazuri® fish analog product (PMI IntI, St....

Feeding frenzy: turning the science of zoo nutrition into a game for kids

In 2012, Busch Gardens opened the Animal Care Center to the public to share general information about the techniques and science involved in preventative and emergency care of the 12,000 animal residents of the zoo as well as local injured wildlife. Zoo educators teamed up with the veterinary and nutrition staff to develop demonstrations and interpretive elements that would share...

Development of a rumen fluid preservation technique and application to an in vitro dry matter digestibility assay

The objective of this study was to develop a rumen-fluid freezing and thawing protocol to be used with a two-stage in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) assay. Rumen fluid was collected on three different days (one week apart) from a domestic steer (Bos taurus) and preserved via freezing, freezing with 5% glycerol (GLY) or freezing with 5% glycerol plus a...

Normal urinary mineral excretion levels in African elephants (Loxodonta africana)

Metabolic bone disease has occurred in several incidences of elephant neonates hand-reared on milk replacement formula. Monitoring for metabolic bone disease historically has been done through serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations. Serum concentrations are tightly regulated and changes in concentration are typically not evident until skeletal changes have already occurred. Urinary calcium and phosphorus excretion levels may provide earlier evidence...