title: Dietary management, husbandry, and body weights of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) during successful pregnancies at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
abstract: Successful pregnancy in African elephants is influenced by biological and environmental factors. For managed elephants many of these factors are set directly or indirectly by their human care takers, including nutrition and husbandry. While African elephants often struggle to conceive and produce healthy offspring under human care, Disney's Animal Kingdom (DAK) has effectively managed six gestations to fruition in three cows. Despite differences between mothers in terms of BW and growth curves during gravidity, each pregnancy successfully resulted in the birth of a healthy calf. Body weight (BW) gain during pregnancy ranged from 245 to 558 kg. Obesity in elephants is associated with increased occurrence of dystocia and mortality of the fetus and mother, hence understanding normal weight gains is an integral concept. Diet (dry matter basis) included high levels of fiber throughout pregnancies (60-70% neutral detergent fiber), vitamin E supplementation (116-214 mg/kg diet of alpha-tocopherol), as well as low levels of starch (2.5-5.1%) and crude fat (1.9-2.4%). Caretaker directed exercise during pregnancy at DAK served to prevent ventral edema, and increase muscle tone to prepare cows for parturition. Demonstrating techniques for effective care of pregnant females, as well as normal growth curves and fluctuations under ex situ conditions are necessary for future positive outcomes. Ensuring reproductive success through proper husbandry and nutrition are a key to long-term conservation of elephants. Zoo Biol. 35:574-578, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Animals, Science, and the Environment, Disney's Animal Programs, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: Animals, Science, and the Environment, Disney's Animal Programs, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida.|Department of Animal Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.affiliation: Applied Veterinary Epidemiology (AVE) Research Group, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wanty
authors.affiliation: Animals, Science, and the Environment, Disney's Animal Programs, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.affiliation: Applied Veterinary Epidemiology (AVE) Research Group, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olea-Popelka
authors.affiliation: Animals, Science, and the Environment, Disney's Animal Programs, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida.|Department of Animal Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valdes
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004606:Elephants / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology; D015430:Weight Gain; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D024502:alpha-Tocopherol
keywords: calving; exercise; fertility; gestation; nutrition; obesity