Rhino Nutrition Update AAZK, 2005

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Rhino Nutrition UpdateAAZK, 2005
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Rhino TAG Nutrition Advisory Group

• Ellen Dierenfeld, Chair (Sumatran)
• Marcus Clauss, Univ Zurich (Black)
• Michael Schlegel, Disney (White)
• Kerrin Grant, Utah State (Asiatic)

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Q/A from Zookeeper Survey (thanks to Dawn
Strasser!!)

• New nutritional concerns
• Doses of vitamin E how often evaluate
• Update on White Oak pellet feed study
• Tannins for binding iron feed study
• Forages timothy vs. Alfalfa
• Browse length of time to feed out and still
  maintain nutritional/enrichment value if root on
  plant, degrades less?

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Q/A from Zookeeper Survey (thanks to Dawn
Strasser!!)

• Specific foods NOT to feed?
• Perennial ryegrass staggars
• D toxicity?
• Pregnancy changes in diet

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Diseases with Possible Nutritional Links - Black
Rhino

• Hemosiderosis - mineral imbalances
• Hemolytic anemia - vitamin E, antiox
• Ulcerative dermatitis - glucose, amino acid,
  fatty acid, mineral imbalances
• Peripheral vasculitis (IHV) - vitamin C, antiox,
  minerals, fatty acids
• Overall impaired immune function

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Research Updates

• Mineral Survey, Tissues Blood
• Novel Antioxidant Metabolism
• Tannin Binding Salivary Proteins
• Intake trials in Indian Rhinos
• Field Studies
• Vitamin E Fatty Acids in Native Browses
• Serum Vitamin E in Rhinos in South Africa
• Field Ecology Studies South Africa, Namibia
• New Initiatives

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Minerals in Rhinos

• E.S. Dierenfeld (St. Louis), S. Atkinson
  (Muskingum College), A.M. Craig (Oregon State),
  K.C. Walker (Oregon State), W.J. Streich (Berlin)
  M. Clauss (Zurich)
• Zoo Biology 2451-72 (2005)

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Mineral Highlights

• Serum/plasma
• Zoo blacks (n34) Free-ranging (n27)
• Zoo whites (n3-16) Free-ranging (n5)
• Indian (n3), Sumatran (n3)
• Liver (21 blacks, 6 whites, 2-4 Indian
  Sumatran)
• Horse a good model of metabolism
• Rhinos er blood Ca Se (captive only) low Na
  compared to equids
• Browsers high Fe (blood liver)
• Browsers low Cu (liver) grazers high
• Liver K, Mg, Co, Mo with age

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Iron Issues Browsing rhinos

• Captives females higher

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Iron Issues Browsing rhinos

• Females higher, both sexes increase with age

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Iron Issues Browsing Rhinos

• Linked with low tannins? Antiox, increased
  availability of iron but not solely diet
• Lack of fiber? Also can increase Fe bioavail
  again, soluble CHO may be important
• Influence of dietary vitamin C? (citrus effect
  doubtful - native browses likely high)

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Mineral Interactions
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Elevated Free Tyrosine in Rhinoceros Erytrhocytes

• Weber, B.W., D.E. Paglia, E.H. Harley

Comp Biochem Physiol 138105-109 (2004)
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• Tyrosine in rhinoceros RBCs (but not plasma)
  50-fold higher than humans
• Also elevated in other Perissodactyla
• Captives significantly lower compared to
  free-ranging also variation across species
• Function as antioxidant?

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Tannins Rhinos

• M. Clauss, Munich (now Zurich) J. Gehrke, J.
  Fickel, M. Lechner-Doll, Berlin E.J. Flach,
  Whipsnade E.S. Dierenfeld, WCS (now St. Louis)
  J.-M. Hatt, Zurich

Comp Biochem Physiol 14067-72 (2005)
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Tannin-Binding Salivary Proteins in 3 Rhino
Species

• Salivary tannin-binding proteins (TBP) related
  to dietary habits browsers highest
• Compared saliva samples from grazer (white,
  n9), browser (black, n10), and mixed (Indian,
  n8) feeding habits
• Used hydrolyzable (tannic acid) condensed
  (quebracho solution) tannin stds

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Tannin-Binding Salivary Proteins in 3 Rhino
SpeciesResults..

• Black rhino bound both H CT gtgt white
• Indian bound H black, CT gtgt black
• Difference between black white expected,
  results from Indian may indicate evolutionarily
  recent switch from browsing
  

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Tannin-Binding Salivary Proteins Inducible in
Black Rhinos

• Related to dietary habits browsers highest
• Black rhinos eat tannins in nature seasonal
  dietary habits might benefit from inducible
  mechanism.
• Six animals (3 facilities) fed 3 mo
• Regular diet
• Diet 5 tannic acid pellet
• Diet 5 quebracho pellet
  

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Induction of Tannin-Binding Salivary Proteins .
Cont.

• Significant in tannic acid-binding capacity
  with both tannic acid and quebracho feeding
• n.s. trend for change in quebracho-binding
  capacity with quebracho feeding no change with
  tannic acid feeding
• Hydrolyzable tannins play a greater role in
  native environment of rhino?
• HT gtgt CT at iron binding? Ongoing trials both in
  Europe the US, with Fe balance

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Indian Rhino NutritionZoo Study

• M. Clauss, C. Polster, E. Kienzle, H.Wiesner, K.
  Baumgartner, F. von Houwald, W.J. Streich, E. S.
  Dierenfeld

Zoo Biology 241-14 (2005)
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Aims of the Study

• Chronic foot problems, leiomyomas linked with
  excess body weight?
• Intake, Digestion
• difference between zoo diets
• (Nürnberg, n2 München, n2 Zurich, n3 Bronx,
  n4)
• Diets with or without concentrates
• Mineral (Ca) metabolism
• Water intake

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Zoo Diets

• Nürnberg
• Grass hay, grass silage, pellets,
• Fruit vegetable, mineral biscuits
• Munich
• Grass hay, pellets, fruit vegetable, mineral
• Basel
• Straw, pellets, hay cobs, fruit vegetable
• Bronx
• Mixed hay, pellets, (minimal) produce

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Particle Passage Dry matter intake
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Dry Matter Digestibility
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Dry Matter Digestibility Crude Fiber
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Results

• consumed 0.5-1.1 of body weight (DMI) daily
• digestible energy 0.27-0.99 MJ DE/kg BW0
  .75 (compared with est. reqt. 0.49-0.66)
• 64 (7 of 11) consumed more energy, even on
  roughage-only diet
• Water intake 30-49 mL/kg BW daily (equid)

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Results

• hay ad libitum diet is possible
• BUT
• mineral /or vitamin supplement needed
• straw concentrate diet
• energy provision as good as hay only diet
• May need to restrict both concentrate forage

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Ca-Metabolism in Rhinos

• Similar to horses, rabbits
• not dependent on Vit D (?)
• Elimination URINE
• Consequence
• Ca-stones in bladder kidney
• (reported in rabbits, horses never in
  rhino)
• Other minerals, similar to horses

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Rhino Browse Free-Ranging
Captive
(n12)
(n4)
(n44)
(n11)
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FORAGES FOR RHINOS

• Best nutrient ratio to duplicate browse? More
  grass than legume sol CHO (in grass) impt. ???
  - needs investigation
• Good quality grass forage proper pellet (61)
  alone can meet maintenance reqts.
• Alfalfa NOT considered browse.
• Browse can have enrichment value even if nutrient
  profiles not maintained.
• Degradation depends on nutrient dont know
  effect of roots worth testing.
• Keep as palatable as possible.

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Lucerne (Alfalfa) can be Problematic

• High N, Ca, Mg
• Increased hindgut pH
• Very digestible, altered passage rate
• Salivary buffering issues, acid/base imbalances
  more prevalent

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Mineral Imbalances Due to Improper Forages?

• Associated with lucerne (alfalfa) feeding in
  both grazers browsers

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Grass Also Problematic?

• Grass staggars reported with perennial ryegrass
  (Bluett et al., NZ Vet J 5248, 2004)
• Due to fungal endophyte with alkaloids localized
  in leaf base (overgrazing) and seed heads
  (undergrazing)
• Clinically tremors, lethargy, staggar, collapse
• Test for lolitrem B (gt1 mg/kg DM) or dont use
  pastures/hay containing perennial ryegrass with
  wild endophyte

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PREGNANCY DIETS (all rhinos)

• NO increased need until last trimester during
  lactation
• Increased
• Calorie needs (about double)
• protein reqts. (8-10 to 12-14)
• Ca (0.3 0.5) and P (0.2-0.3)
• No other changes recommended with equine model
• Best to alter digestibility of diet increasing
  browse and/or legume forage (adds protein and
  Ca), possibly targeted concentrates - not double
  quantities per se due to physical limitations

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Plasma Vitamin E in Free-Ranging Black Rhinos
Mean 0.86 ug/ml similar to other studies
Ndondo et al., 2004 S Afr J Wild Rec 34100-102
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Plasma Vitamin E in Free-Ranging Black Rhinos
Clauss et al., 2002
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Plasma Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Black Rhinos
Clauss et al., 2002
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Vitamin E Concentrations in Black Rhino Browses
Ndondo et al., 2004 Dierenfeld et al.,
1995 Ghebremeskel et al., 1991
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VITAMIN E

• Recommended doses (dietary levels) of vitamin E
• Based on available information, ensure all
  species consume diets containing at least 50
  IU/kg DM up to 200 IU/kg.
• Not doses per se, but if eat 1 of body mass, a
  2000 kg black will eat 20 kg DM X 50 IU 1000 IU
  minimal.
• Evaluate at least annually

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Vitamin D Toxicity an Isolated Problem in 2002
Manufacturer very responsive, no diet problem
isolated
Miller et al., summary, 2003
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Fatty Acids in Black Rhino Browses (South Africa)

• Seasonal shift - increased PUFAs (C18) in winter
  vs spring
• No relationship with vit E levels but essential
  for vit E absorption

Ndondo et al., 2004
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Evidence of FA Deficiency in Black Rhinos

• Browse composition (Zimbabwe NA temperate
  spp.)
• Fresh browse - a-linolenic (n-3) 15X gtgt linoleic
  (n-6) immediate oxidation
• Zoo vs. free-range diet - linoleic 5X, linolenic
  1/3
• Grant et al., 2002, J. Wildl. Dis. Wright, 1998

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Fatty Acid Investigations - Zoo Rhinos Short-
Long-Term

• Adipose tissue FA as measure of long-term
  diet effects
• 25 of rhinos (n20) deficient in C182
  (linoleic) gt50 undetectable C183 (a-linolenic)
• No free-range tissue samples as baseline

• Clinical response to dietary FA supplementation
• Adding flax-based supplement altered w-3w-6
  ratios favorably
• Zoo diet - opposite effects on ratio
• Suedmeyer Dierenfeld, 1998

Dierenfeld Frank, 1998
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• Currently summarizing FA in rhino plasma (US and
  European zoos) vs. Free-ranging
• Limit foods high in PUFAs unless adequate
  antioxidant (Polyphenolics? Vitamin E? Tyrosine?)
• Concentrates higher than forages in PUFA

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Ongoing Captive Nutrition Studies Rhinos

• White Oak Browsing Rhino pellets added St.
  Louis (n1) others?
• Busch Gardens diet with increased soluble CHO,
  beet pulp (n3 blacks)
• Tannin feed additives US and Europe no updates
  submitted
• Sumatran rhino feeding trial Los Angeles
  seasonal intake/digestion trials
• Rhino Browse/Diet Database?

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Ongoing Nutrition Field Studies Black Rhinos

• Stephane Helary University of Witwatersrand,
  South Africa. N. Owen-Smith, advisor. IRF
  initially funded
• Earthwatch project Waterberg Plateau, Namibia,
  also examining South African sites
• Quantifying Fe, tannins, minerals natural
  chelators, possibly ascorbic acid
• Feed plants, feces
• Different ecosystems, different seasons

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IRF RFP 2005 - Priority Target Areas with
Possible Nutrition Component(s)

• Dietary/Nutritional links with disease or
  susceptibility
• Dietary links with reproduction
• Nutritional links with male sex skew