From Apples to Crickets: A Peek Inside the Zoo’s Pantry!
It’s back-to-school season, and with it comes the return of lunch boxes. So why not take this opportunity to see what’s hiding in the pantry of our animal residents? At Zoo de Granby, feeding the animals is about much more than simply filling bowls or placing a few pieces of fruit in an enclosure. Behind every meal is a carefully planned process. With nearly 1,500 animals representing more than 200 species, each with very different dietary needs, the Zoo’s animal kitchen must manage an impressive diversity of diets every day.
Herbivores, carnivores, insectivores, frugivores, piscivores and omnivores: every species has its own nutritional requirements. And even within the same species, the recipe can vary from one individual to another. Here’s a look at the thought that goes into every bite eaten by the animals at the Zoo!
A Custom-Made Diet
The first rule of animal nutrition is simple: there is no one-size-fits-all menu.
Age, sex, weight, activity level, body condition, season and health status are among the factors considered when determining what an animal should eat and in what quantities. A young, growing female will not necessarily have the same needs as an adult, just as an aging animal or one with a health condition may require an adapted diet.
At Zoo de Granby, an animal nutritionist works closely with animal care technicians and the veterinary team to plan the diets of the Zoo’s residents. Feeding sheets specify which foods should be offered and the quantities to be weighed, sometimes down to the gram. This level of precision is no luxury. An overly rich diet can lead to weight gain, while an inadequate diet can result in nutritional deficiencies or other health problems.
Nutrition is therefore an important component of preventive veterinary care.
A Grocery Store… on a Zoological Scale!
At first glance, Zoo de Granby’s grocery list might make your head spin.
It includes a wide variety of specialized feeds, fruits and vegetables, as well as hay, meat, fish, seafood, nuts, grains and many other foods. The quantities consumed are impressive: nearly 95 cases of apples, 364 cases of lettuce, one tonne of carrots and 14 tonnes of meat are ordered every year, to name just a few examples.
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg! Large herbivores such as elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes and hippopotamuses require a constant supply of large quantities of forage. To manage this diversity, the animal kitchen operates with a veritable “recipe book.”
Every day is carefully planned to ensure that the right foods are provided in the right quantities to the right animals.
A Carrot Isn’t Always Just a Carrot!
Choosing a food isn’t simply a matter of determining whether an animal likes it. Its nutritional composition must also be understood, as well as how it fits into the animal’s overall diet. At Zoo de Granby, fruits and vegetables are grouped into different nutritional categories. This makes it possible to replace one food with another comparable option when seasonal availability changes. When a particular fruit is no longer available, for example, another option with similar nutritional characteristics can be selected. Conversely, seasonal abundance can be taken advantage of when it occurs: strawberries in June or squash in the fall, for example.
Preparation also matters when it comes to satisfying the “customer.” Depending on the species and individual, foods may be served whole, diced, cut into pieces, puréed or prepared in another form. Individual preferences sometimes need to be taken into account as well. Some animals are particularly selective! In these cases, Zoo teams can look for ways to preserve the desired nutrients while finding a presentation or food that the animal will accept.
When the Meal… Is Prey
Interesting informations
A menu slightly... different!
For carnivores, the menu is obviously quite different.
The Zoo’s big cats, for example, receive horse meat specially formulated to meet their nutritional needs. Other carnivores and birds of prey eat various types of prey, such as mice, chicks and chickens.
Approximately 12,000 mice, 5,100 chicks and 400 chickens are consumed each year.
These prey items are frozen in advance, then thawed and brought to the appropriate temperature before being distributed.
To each their preference!
Variety is important: a boa constrictor obviously does not have the same nutritional needs as an owl or a big cat. Individual preferences can also come into play. At many zoological institutions, carnivores are also offered portions of whole carcasses or whole prey. This practice provides not only meat, but also elements such as bones, organs and connective tissues, which naturally form part of the diet of many predators.
Some questionable choices!
For some residents, the menu may seem considerably less appetizing to our delicate palates.
The Zoo raises various insects and worms for its insectivorous animals: crickets, morio worms, earthworms, cockroaches and other invertebrates are all part of the pantry.
For example, more than 7,700 crickets are consumed every year. This food meets genuine nutritional needs. Insects can provide protein and calcium and are an important component of the diet of many insectivorous species, including lizards and small primates.
More Than 20 Types of Feed
Fresh foods are only part of the equation, however. Zoo de Granby uses more than 20 types of formulated feed, designed to meet the needs of different species and animal groups. Some are intended for primates, while others are formulated for various groups of herbivores or for species with specific nutritional requirements. These formulated foods help provide certain essential nutrients consistently, nutrients that can be difficult to obtain from fresh foods alone.
In modern zoos, diet formulation is based on a combination of scientific data, knowledge of species’ natural diets and observations of animals in human care. Nutritionists work with animal care and veterinary teams to develop diets whose nutritional composition comes as close as possible to the known needs of species in their natural environment.
A Diet That Is Always Evolving
Zoo nutrition is far from a static science. Knowledge about the nutritional needs of different species continues to evolve, as do the methods used to assess diet quality and its effects on health. Collaboration between zoological institutions is particularly important: zoos can share their observations and help advance knowledge about the nutrition of many animal species.
