Discoveries of new and unexplored animals pose a challenge to Zoological nutritionists and veterinarians. Charged with the task of formulating a diet for an animal for whom they have no concrete nutritional information, professionals have to develop innovative ways to extrapolate what they know about existing domesticated animals’ diets and digestive tracts and apply it to exotic animals. Such an approach can be very helpful in the case of the okapi.
Okapia johnstoni, commonly known as the “Okapi,” was first discovered in 1900 deep in the Ituri rainforest of central Africa and is now an endangered species (San Diego Zoo Global, 2016). At first glance the 600 pound, 5 foot okapi looks like a mix of zebra and deer (San Diego Zoo Global, 2016). …show more content…
Austin, Suchar, Robbins, and Hagerman found that browsers produce more tannin binding proteins in their saliva when compared to grazers (1989). This is the case in the Okapi who have enlarged salivary glands that produce tannin binding proteins (Clauss, Hummel, Völlm, Lorenz, & Hofmann, 2006). Although it is typically thought that tannins only affect non-ruminants, researchers have found that tannin content in feedstuffs can have a negative effect on ruminant digestion of protein (Min, Solaiman, Terrill, Ramsay, & Mueller-Harvey, 2015). Thus it is plausible that the okapi, producing high amounts of tannin binding proteins, would be able to have the same if not higher percent CP digestibility than the animals used in this study. In one study, alfalfa was found to have the closest fermentative pattern to browse and would therefore be the best substitute for feeding in zoos (Hummel et al., 2006a). It is clear that more research should be done in assessing the percent digestibility of different feeds within the okapi as reference literature was scare for this study, especially for EE. With that said, it is also apparent that extrapolating digestibility values from domesticated animals to exotic animals is a logical first step in understanding the proper management and feeding of zoo
Okapia johnstoni, commonly known as the “Okapi,” was first discovered in 1900 deep in the Ituri rainforest of central Africa and is now an endangered species (San Diego Zoo Global, 2016). At first glance the 600 pound, 5 foot okapi looks like a mix of zebra and deer (San Diego Zoo Global, 2016). …show more content…
Austin, Suchar, Robbins, and Hagerman found that browsers produce more tannin binding proteins in their saliva when compared to grazers (1989). This is the case in the Okapi who have enlarged salivary glands that produce tannin binding proteins (Clauss, Hummel, Völlm, Lorenz, & Hofmann, 2006). Although it is typically thought that tannins only affect non-ruminants, researchers have found that tannin content in feedstuffs can have a negative effect on ruminant digestion of protein (Min, Solaiman, Terrill, Ramsay, & Mueller-Harvey, 2015). Thus it is plausible that the okapi, producing high amounts of tannin binding proteins, would be able to have the same if not higher percent CP digestibility than the animals used in this study. In one study, alfalfa was found to have the closest fermentative pattern to browse and would therefore be the best substitute for feeding in zoos (Hummel et al., 2006a). It is clear that more research should be done in assessing the percent digestibility of different feeds within the okapi as reference literature was scare for this study, especially for EE. With that said, it is also apparent that extrapolating digestibility values from domesticated animals to exotic animals is a logical first step in understanding the proper management and feeding of zoo