The nutrient profile of products available for hand rearing Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)

Citation

Ward AM, McCusker S, Tollefson T, and Power ML. 2023. The nutrient profile of products available for hand rearing Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). In Brooks M, Fidgett A, Kendrick E, Treiber K Eds. Proceedings of the Fifteenth Conference on Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition, Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition Foundation and AZA Nutrition Advisory Group, Hybrid.

Abstract

Asian elephant neonates that fail to nurse from their dams continue to be challenging to hand rear (Takehana et al., 2020; Wiedner, 2023). The nutrient content of maternal milk should be used to formulate diets for hand rearing. Often these data do not exist, are incomplete, or are based on limited samples sizes, making extrapolation challenging. Furthermore, often the ingredients available do not adequately match the nutrient content of maternal milk. Average fat, protein, and sugar (lactose) levels over the first 6 months of lactation (three cows, including two consecutive lactations in one cow, M. Power, unpublished data) were used as targets to assess hand rearing products. These targets, on a dry matter basis for percent fat, protein, sugar ± standard deviation were: 38.97 ± 6.70, 18.46 ± 3.29, 28.36 ± 5.86, respectively. Taking into account sugar includes several carbohydrates and oligosaccharides makes up approximately 40% of the total sugar with lactose and other less complex sugars making up the rest (Kunz, et. al., 1999; M. Power, personal communication, July 11, 2023), 20% lactose was set as a maximum for formulation. Additional targets were set for fatty acids and calcium and phosphorus. Medium chain triglycerides were based on a limited sample size (one cow, three to six months, Rietkerk et. al., 1993) specifically 2.42% caprylic acid (C8), 18.58% capric acid (C10) and 9.61% lauric acid (C12), on a dry matter basis. Calcium and phosphorus targets were determined from Abbondanza et. al. (2013) suggesting whether early (three months) or late (thirty months) lactation, the calcium to phosphorus ratio was approximately 2:1 and ranged from 0.51 to 1.02 % calcium and 0.26 to 0.51% phosphorus on a dry matter basis, respectively. The analyzed or calculated values for products available vary significantly (Table 1).

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