Farmers know how much their cow eats, how much milk it produces, when it’s sick, and so much more. But how does a cow compare to an animal at the zoo – so maybe an elephant for example? Erin Dowgwillo, Elephant Care Coordinator for Milwaukee County Zoo has the answer.
At the Milwaukee County Zoo, the diets of the elephants are tailored based on their weights. One elephant at the zoo, Bell, is actually on a weight loss diet. The diet consists of mixed grass hay, elephant pellets, and fruits and vegetables. Bell and the other elephants at the zoo eat an average of 100-125 pounds of hay each day.
This is similar to a cow’s diet as it consists mainly of grain mixed with hay, corn silage and other feeds to create a total mixed ration. Cows just eat a lot less with only about 24 pounds a day.
“We source the food from various places, including a farm in Michigan for mixed grass hay, fruits and vegetables. The elephant pellets are sourced from Missouri,” says Dowgwillo. “We partner with a local forestry department to put trees in the enclosures and also have small enrichment gardens for spices or fresh mint or dill.”
Just like cow manure is used for fertilizer, the elephant manure is composted and used in their enrichment gardens.
Unlike cows which have a gestation period of 283 days, an elephant’s gestation period is about two years. However,at the Milwaukee County Zoo, the older elephants are not of the breeding population.
Farmers work with veterinarians, nutritionists, hoof trimmers, and more to care for their cattle. They also wear many hats themselves. The elephant caretakers at the Milwaukee County Zoo are no exception.
“Here at the zoo, we have a team of five that work strictly with the elephants seven days a week, 365 days a year,” says Dowgwillo. “We also have dedicated vet staff, work specialists, physical therapists and much more that help us to care for our animals. We really do wear many hats to make this possible.”
The elephants at the zoo know about 30 to 40 different behaviors. Dowgwillo says that these allow them to take care of the elephants better. These behaviors include putting their feet up so staff can do footwork., putting their ears out so blood can be drawn and also to collect plasma to help other elephants at other facilities.
Just like cows are given the utmost care and attention so are elephants and other animals at the zoo.
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