 Reference Base  Serum alpha-tocopherol, all-trans retinol, total lipids a... |
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| Location: |
World |
| Subject: |
Ecology - Food |
| Species: |
Black Rhino |
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The alpha-tocopherol values of the wild rhinos were significantly greater (P <0.001) than those of the captive species. Brysh and Anderson (1986) were unable to detect alpha-tocopherol in serum of captive black rhinoceroses. The mean alpha-tocopherol / total lipid ratio of the free-ranging species was marginally greater than 0.8 mg/g, a value regarded as a minimum threshold of Vitamin E status in the human adult (Horwitt et al., 1972).
The discrepancy in serum alpha-tocopherol between wild and captive species is most likely due to differences in dietary intake. Free living black rhinoceros would have unrestricted access to selected woodland vegetation, which has a high nutrient density and is rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acids and Vitamin E. In captivity, however, because their digestive system is similar to that of the equids, their dietary intake is formulated based on the requirement of a domestic horse. Consequently, their ration often comprises mainly grass bay (sudan, timothy, coastal bermuda), horse pellets and mineral supplements. The weakness of this approach is the feeding of a grazer diet to a browser. It also fails to recognize the subtle digestive physiology (morphological and functional) differences between the black rhinos and the equids. Hoffman and Stewart (1972) reported substantial differences in diet, stomach structure, physiology and adaptability in ruminants, and concluded that the failure to appreciate the differences would lead to translocation failures or to unsuccessful man- agement of captive animals. Their assertion must equally be applicable to perissodactyla.
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