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magine having to prepare meals for 2,400 guests. “There isn’t anything more important than knowing what
Some of them can gobble down 20 pounds of meat to feed the zoo’s animals—it’s essential,” said Dr. Tom Meehan,
I or 100 fish in one sitting. Others are strictly vegetarian. vice president of Veterinary Services with the Chicago Zoological
Some of them even eat bugs—thousands in one slurp. And if Society. Proper nutrition plays a key role in animals’ lives
that isn’t challenging enough, the meals must provide each just as it does for humans. It is linked to disease prevention,
individual with his or her calorie and nutrient needs, which longer lifespan, healthy metabolism and reproduction,
can change by the season and multiple other factors. You’ve and optimal growth.
even got your share of very picky eaters. Not too long ago, zoos fed animals whatever they had
Welcome to a day in the life of Jennifer Watts, Ph.D., and on hand, said Watts. This began to change in the 1980s and
her staff in Brookfield Zoo’s Nutrition Services department. 90s, when researchers learned more about how animals absorb
Watts formulates a custom, nutritious diet for each of our nutrients. Diets more appropriate for animals became popular—
animals; a difficult task considering we have more than commercially produced, nutritionally complete diets. “In the
2,400 animals. Not including invertebrates, they represent last 10 years, there’s been a much bigger push toward natural
nearly 400 species and subspecies. diets,” said Watts. This includes cuttings from certain species
Brookfield Zoo was one of the first zoos in the world to be of trees and whole carcasses of animals. “In the last five years,
staffed with full-time professional nutritionists when our Nutrition there’s been a push to lower the sugar content in most animals’
Services department was created in the early 1980s. Today, we diets, especially primates.”
are one of about 25 institutions—out of 240 zoos and aquariums How does Watts decide what and how much an animal
accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums—with a should be fed? What factors must she consider when formulating
full-time professional nutritionist on staff. Watts, who joined the an animal’s diet? How does she cope with picky eaters? Gateways
Chicago Zoological Society in 2007, has a bachelor’s degree in sat down with Watts and asked her these questions and more.
animal science and a Ph.D. in animal and veterinary nutrition.

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