What the Wild Things Eat

As  it is with the care and feeding of the human population, health concerns are top of mind for former Animal Nutrition Supervisor Betty Grogan, who prepares meals based on requirements from zookeepers. She notes the advances made in animal care in the 36 years she has worked at the Zoo, and she meticulously weighs lettuce, bananas, grapes and other foods headed to the gorilla compound. Attention is paid to the amount of protein, carbohydrates and sugar delivered at each meal to ensure a complete diet and help maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Pallets of waterfowl, koi and exotic gamebird food sit alongside bales of alfalfa hay in a storage room. The commissary kitchen, equipped with scales and mixing bowls, contains an assortment of fresh produce (along with buckets labeled ELEPHANT SCRAPS – NOT TRASH!), all used in “recipes” for each animal. “We still may supplement with grains, hay and prepared pellet food, but we balance that with vegetation similar to what the animals may find in the wild,” said Grogan.

To help support that effort, Zoo staff works with JEA and other agencies in the area during vegetation clean-up along highways to collect what is being trimmed. Called the Browse Program, the partnership benefits both the Zoo and its affiliates. The locally cleared vegetation, like wax myrtle, sweet gum, sycamore and sugarberry, mimics what many animals would eat in the wild and is used to supplement their daily diet.

Zookeepers have a network around the country to keep up with the latest best practices in animal nutrition. “We are always calling other zoos to see how their animals are responding to food or to get ideas on how to improve diets,” said Nicole Monell, former Senior Mammal Zookeeper. She monitors her gorillas carefully for cardiac disease, the leading cause of death among the primates. “Diet is so important to keeping them healthy,” she said.

It’s not only what the animals eat but also how they are fed that impacts their well-being. Monell described the different approaches used to keep primates from getting bored with their diet. “We change the shapes and sizes of their food or move it around so they have to forage, like they would in the wild. Sometimes we make games out of mealtime. Because gorillas are very social animals, we play with them for interaction.” There’s also a puzzle feeder that gorillas and Guereza colobus monkeys have to spin to get food out. Vegetation from the Browse program is scattered throughout exhibits for snacks. And apparently, they sometimes like it dried out and crunchy.

Food and feeding is an essential consideration for the Zoo in meeting their mission. Much like humans, when it comes to survival, no matter the species, an essential component to health and well-being is access to food and the community around it.

For more information or to plan a visit to the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens, visit their website at www.jacksonvillezoo.org