Reduce fat and cholesterol in the diet : it turns out that this modern mantra of good nutrition applies to man, woman and beast, too. Using high-tech analytical instruments, scientists at the Wildlife Conservation Center (formerly the Bronx Zoo) have been studying the diets of animals in the wild. This research enables zookeepers to improve the nutritional health of animals in captivity by designing diets that more closely match the animals' natural food sources.
Data generated at the center helped lower cholesterol levels in captive lowland gorillas by 100 points. The secret Substituting fiber and Vitamin E for eggs and meat in the great apes' diet. And the longevity of tropical birds like mynahs, tanagers and passerines has increased by carefully monitoring the birds' iron intake to avoid iron storage disease.
"By bridging field research with nutritional sciences and offering the information on a worldwide network, we can combine our resources and help thousands of animals," says center nutritionist DR. Ellen Dierenfeld. She also studied bamboo forests in Southeast China, brought samples back to her lab at the center, analyzed them with sophisticated equipment, and the duplicated the nutrition levels for use in the diets of captive giant pandas.
Dierenfels's findings may eventually influence pet foods and human diets, as well. In a joint effort with a Chinese University, the center is now analyzing fiber content in the diets of leaf-eating monkeys, and these results are expected to point the way toward dietary improvement foe people.