Page 32 - Gateways_2017_Fall

Welfare at Home continued

Balancing Act

The Chicago Zoological Society’s director of nutrition,
Dr. Jennifer Watts, and her team make sure the animals
receive all of the healthy nutrients they need. When they
design an animal’s diet, they weigh many factors.

1 Balancing things out.

They develop diets that are appropriate for each species based on research here
at the zoo and in the field. In just one example, they emphasize a fiber-rich
diet for our pimates. Some primate species receive 50% to 75% of their diet in
greens, which helps maintain the proper functioning of their digestive systems.

2 Going natural when possible.

As with your pets, our nutrition staff
rely on some prepared foods to ensure
animals receive all the nutrients they need.
(Think giraffe chow.) Whenever possible,
though, they supplement with natural
foods like fresh fruits and vegetables,
meat on the bone, and whole grains.

3 The animals receive foods that are packed with nutrients and that provide interest

Making it interesting.

and novelty—a whole unpeeled orange or banana, for example. Carnivores such
as our wolves receive carcasses. Herbivores are given browse—branches, twigs, and
leaves—to manipulate and to crunch. We are providing natural nutrition and
encouraging the animals to interact with their food as they might in the wild.

32 GATEWAYS | IS YOUR HOME A ZOO?