Can proboscis monkeys be successfully maintained in captivity? A case of swings and roundabouts
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2004 |
Authors: |
G. Agoramoorthy, C. Alagappasamy, M. J. Hsu |
Publication/Journal: |
Zoo Biology |
Publisher: |
A Wiley Company, Inc., Wiley Subscription Services |
Keywords: |
breeding success, conservation, husbandry, natural diet, nutritional management, proboscis monkey |
ISBN: |
1098-2361 |
Abstract:
Although most western zoos have experienced difficulties in maintaining proboscis monkeys, the Singapore Zoo has managed to sustain a social group of proboscis monkeys housed in a large naturalistic exhibit since 1998. Within 3 years after the monkeys were brought to the zoo, five offspring were produced, all of which survived. Natural forest vegetation from 20 plant species was provided along with a staple diet of about seven different species on a daily basis. The calcium and sodium contents of the plant items consumed by monkeys in the Singapore Zoo were similar to those in the diet of wild proboscis monkeys in Borneo. However, the levels of other minerals, such as iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc, and phosphorus, were significantly lower in the natural vegetation consumed by the monkeys compared to the wild diet. Food supplements such as primate biscuits, cod liver oil, boiled egg, multivitamins, and mineral syrup further ensured a more balanced diet for the captive monkeys. The data presented here show that zoos can maintain these rare Colobine monkeys successfully by provide them with a natural diet, along with appropriate husbandry and hygiene practices, minimal human interference, and applied nutritional science. The husbandry and nutritional management model presented in this paper could be of use to other institutions around the world. Zoo Biol 23:533–544, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.