Linda M. Velasquez, LVT Primate Keeper

Louis DiVincenti, DVM Associate Veterinarian

Seneca Park Zoo

Rochester, NY

Biggest Loser: Orangutan Style

Introduction

• We have three Bornean orangutans at Seneca Park Zoo

• Kumang is our 34 year old female

• Dara is her 12 year old daughter

• Denda is our 9 year old male – came to us last year from Brookfield Zoo

• The focus of this presentation is on our females

The Excuses • We are learning more and more about the problem of obesity in

captive orangutans and…………..

• We knew our females were “big”, but………………….. • Kumang, our 34 year old is a large female, she is big boned! • Her daughter, Dara, just takes after her!

• Kumang is a grandma, she has had 3 children, give her a break!

More Excuses • We did separation

training last year for the transfer of Datu to Madison, WI. We had to give them extra treats.

• After all, the vet staff needs to establish a relationship with them!

And so on………………….!

Facing Reality

• We were not weighing our orangutans on a regular basis

• Our last recorded weights were: March 2011 - Kumang (200 lbs.) August 2011 - Dara (140 lbs.)

• Done during routine PE, not as a trained behavior

• Our girls were overweight and we needed to make it a priority!

What’s the BIG Deal?

• 2012 Orangutan Health Survey – Obesity 3rd most

serious health problem facing captive orangutans • Behind respiratory and

cardiovascular disease

– 50% of institutions diagnosed obesity within last 10 years Taman Safari Park

Jakarta, Indonesia

Obesity

• Cardiovascular Disease – Hypertension – Atherosclerosis – Stroke – Deep Venous Thrombosis

• Diabetes • Osteoarthritis • Endometrial, breast, and

colon cancer • Menstrual disorders /

reduced fertility

Implications for Orangutans

• During the period between 2010 and 2012, most orangutans were 20-30yr old at time of death • 5/7 cardiovascular related

for last year

• Seneca Park Zoo – Jiggs – dead at 34 – stroke

– Lowell – dead at 21 – myocardial fibrosis

A Primer of Orangutan Nutrition

Information Drawn Extensively From

Deb Schmidt

Orangutan SSP Nutritionist

Orangutan Diets

• Average Body Weights for Free Range Animals

– Males = 86kg

– Females = 39kg

• Caloric Intake

– Fruiting Season Dependent

• 3,800-8,400kcal/day males

• 1,800-7,400kcal/day females

Daily Diets

• Frugivores – Opportunistic Though

• Leaves

• Bark

• Pith

• Flowers

• Insects

• Honey

• Meat (?)

• Consume 1-2% body weight per day

Daily Diets

• Precise nutritional needs of orangutans not actually known

• Most extensive research based on work by Cheryl Knott in Gunung Palung National Park

– Energy Expenditure

• Males = 3,400 kcal/day

• Females = 1,900 kcal/day

• Maternal Females = 2,400 kcal/day

Wild Orangutan Diet Food Item Fiber

Seeds 9-84%

Pulp 9-77%

Leaves 21-72%

Bark 53-73%

Flowers 46-57%

Whole Fruits 50-65%

Pith 51-82% Source: Cheryl Knott

Analysis of Zoo-Fed Produce

Sugar Starch Fiber

Fruit 41% 24% 13%

Vegetables 26% 23% 19%

Leafy Greens

18% 15% 19%

Source: Deb Schmidt

Not All Fruit Created Equal

• Fruits eaten in the wild have much higher fiber and lower sugar concentrations

Gastrointestinal Physiology

• Intestinal tract different among primates

– Orangutans and gorillas share long large intestine

• Ability to ferment fiber

– Humans and chimpanzees have shorter and smaller large intestine

• More omnivorous

Sources of Calories

• Protein

• Fat

• Carbohydrates

– Free Sugars

– Starch

– Fiber

Fiber Fermentation

• Mammals do not produce digestive enzymes to degrade plant fiber

• Intestinal bacteria break down fiber and excrete volatile fatty acids (VFAs)

So what should we feed orangutans?

• Special Adaptations

– Consume a significant number of calories, which is stored as fat

– Survive on low quality, extremely high-fiber food items during non-fruiting periods

• Only the first is needed for life in zoos

Diet Recommendations

• High Fiber Primate Biscuits 15%

– Feed individually

• Leafy Green Vegetables 57%

• Vegetables 17%

• Fruit 7%

• Root Vegetables 4%

Increase Fiber

• Offer fruits as raw and unpeeled

• Replace soft fruits with hard fruits

• Increase greens and browse

• Use highest fiber primate biscuits possible

Caloric Requirement Formulas

Dara

Weight = 67kg

15% Weight Loss = 57kg

57kg x 40kcal/kg/day = 2,280kcal

Original diet provided 6,000kcal in just biscuits!!!

Dara’s Diet

Food Category Original Diet Weight Loss Diet

Biscuits 2,200g 107g

Leafy Vegetables 2.5lbs 1,300cal

Vegetables 2.5lbs 388cal

Root Vegetables 0.63lbs 91cal

Fruit 1.25lbs 160cal

Caloric Requirement Formulas

Kumang

Weight = 103kg

20% Weight Loss = 82kg

82kg x 40kcal/kg/day = 3,296cal

Original diet provided 11,000 calories in biscuits!!!

Kumang’s Diet

Food Category Original Diet Weight Loss Diet

Biscuits 3,520g 154g

Leafy Vegetables 4.12lbs 1,879cal

Vegetables 4.12lbs 560cal

Root Vegetables 1.0lbs 131cal

Fruit 1.96lbs 230cal

Getting Started • There was someone who had

done this before many years ago and she was still there!

• We found an old mechanical scale in our equipment closet!

• Making it work:

Putting the apparatus together

Testing the scale

It really does work!

• We are ready to move forward!

The Plan • Where, who, when, how often, etc.

- In our first inside exhibit space

- One keeper on the top to read the scale and one working down below

- We would try to do this once a week

• Behavior training plan

- What “bucket” do we use?

- Do we need to separate them?

- What rewards and how to deliver them

- Still an ongoing process

The Weigh-In • We had a plan and we were ready

• The day came and we were excited! April 29, 2012 We were able to get weights on Kumang, Dara and Denda and……. UH OH! - our suspicions were confirmed Kumang now weighed 227lbs - 20 lbs. more than March 2011 Dara now weighed 147lbs - 7 lbs. more than August 2011 Denda weighed 124lbs (his weight is a healthy weight)

• But we were on our way to better health and weight management!!

• We recorded the results on our DKR and waited for the inevitable And it came in the form of…………………………

A New Diet! • A new diet based on

calories

• A chart of fruits, veggies and greens with gram weights and caloric content

• We have to weigh things in grams instead of pounds

• This is NOT what we are used to doing!

A Noticeable Difference

Kumang Old Half Day Diet

Kumang New Half Day Diet

A Noticeable Difference Fresh Greens for 3 Orangutans

(Old)

Fresh Greens for Kumang

The Approach • Everyone involved needed

to be educated, to understand and to comply

• This was not just about the foods themselves but a new way of feeding/nutrition

• We need to station our orangutans for feeding and feed throughout the day

• We need to work closely with the vet staff

Objections and Concerns • This involves math! - Sample diets? - Support - Encouragement • This takes more

time! - Sample diets? - Ask for help • How can we reward

the orangutans for behaviors?

• They aren’t eating all their vegetables and greens!

• They don’t have enough foraging opportunities if stationed for feeding!

- Provision in diet - Greens

• How can we provide them with the best of both worlds?

• This change should be more gradual

Meeting the Challenges • You really don’t have to do math!

(much) The sample diets did help Everyone got more relaxed about

it

• It did take more time in the beginning

Sample diets did help with this too It became more routine

• We do provide foraging with things

like : popcorn and cereal as a substitute

for root vegetable calories

Meeting the Challenges

• We can reward behaviors with low cal items like low cal jello, air popped popcorn, and crystal lite

• Keep a log to keep everyone up to date and make adjustments if necessary

• Let your veterinarian know of any problems, questions

• Given time and opportunity, they do eat their veggies and greens

They adjusted more quickly than we did!

Our Orangutans’ Response • Stationing very well! Had started stationing about a year ago Not new to them • Shifting really well! • Initially rejected their vegetables when fruit and monkey chow

were gone. If they refused their veggies, they did not get more. They understood very quickly that no more fruit was coming! They started to eat all their fruit, veggies and primate chow while

stationed

• Denda, our male, tries at times to “steal” Dara’s fruit and primate chow

He is returned to his “station” and fed his own diet He is learning that he only gets fed there • Kumang seems almost unaffected and very relaxed

Our Orangutans’ Response

• More R/R Particularly with Dara

• Diarrhea Again, more so with Dara Bananas, used for a training

session, helps

• Dara looking for sympathy But less begging from

visitors - different expectations

The Results (so far) • Started new diet on June 28, 2012

Kumang weighed 227

Dara weighed 147

• July 7, 2012

Kumang 224 - down 3 lbs.

Dara 139 - down 8 lbs!

• July 14

Kumang 221 - down another 3 lbs. (total weight loss of 6 lbs.)

Unable to get Dara’s weight - bouncing around too much!

The Results (so far)

• July 21

Kumang 220 - down another lb. (total weight loss of 7 lbs.)

Dara weighs the same - 139

• July 28

Kumang and Dara both got in the “bucket” but we had trouble reading the scale

The Results (so far)

• August 6

Kumang 218 – down another 2 lbs. (total weight loss of 9 lbs.)

• August 12

Kumang 218 – no change. (total weight loss of 9 lbs.)

Dara 134 – down another 5 lbs. (total weight loss of 13 lbs.)

A New Scale

Because of our success, we were able to justify ordering a new digital scale!!!!

What did we learn? • Be flexible!

• Be willing to change

• Ask for help

• Keep a log/good records of your progress

• Make adjustments as needed

For instance, we have had to separate Dara at times so Denda would not take her food

The Rewards! • Feeling of accomplishment We learned to do things in a

different way despite the challenges

We overcame the obstacles and worked as a team

• We discovered new ways of

enrichment - not all about food!

• We justified buying a new digital scale and made our job easier

• The weight loss of our orangutans • Best of all - working toward the

better overall health and well being of our orangutans!!

Thank You • Janet Dray • Tina Fess

• Brian Sheets • Mike Wemett

• Louis DiVincenti, DVM • Jeff Wyatt, DVM

• Seneca Park Zoo Society

• Kumang • Dara • Denda