De Waal, H.O.Schwalbach, L. M. L.Borstlap, Dirk Gerber2017-04-202017-04-202002-11http://hdl.handle.net/11660/6127English: The long-term goal of this study of the quantitative nutrition of large African predators was to develop non-invasive techniques for the accurate determination of food intake and apparent nutrient digestibility by free-ranging predators. The specific objectives of this study were to: • develop non-invasive techniques to determine the apparent digestibility of fresh, nonprocessed food by three species of large African predators. • determine the apparent dry matter (DM) digestibility of typical carnivorous diets in terms of DM, crude protein (CP), minerals, fat and gross energy (GE). • obtain information on the digestive capabilities and the water retention in three species of large African predators. • lay the basis for developing a technique to determine the food intake on a nutrient basis by free-ranging large African predators. This study was conducted in the Bloemfontein Zoological Gardens (Bloemfontein Zoo) with paired captive male and female African lions (Panthera leo), leopards (Panthera pardus) and cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). Although the study was done with captive animals the techniques were developed in such a manner that its principles would be applicable in the uncontrolled environment of free-ranging predators. The study consisted complete intake and digestibility trials conducted and repeated three times respectively 'on a male and a female of each of the three predator species. The trial diets consisted of portions' of the limbs from either adult donkeys (Equus asinus) or a horse (Equus cabal/us). The trial carcass portions used consisted of two symmetrical and identical portions or cuts that were divided in different sections, e.g. the two front limbs or the two hind limbs originating from the same carcass. One carcass portion was fed to a specific predator as the trial diet and the mirror image carcass portion was retained for nutrient analysis in the laboratory. The trail diets were marked using maize seeds (Zea mays) as external marker to assist in the faecal identification and facilitate collection. After feeding a ration, total faecal and food refusal collections were made. The intake and apparent digestibility of the fresh food, DM and nutrients were determined using standard laboratory techniques. The results of the intake and digestibility trials with the African lion, the leopard and the cheetah have shown that these carnivores are well adapted for the ingestion and digestion of meat. Mean DM intakes ranged from 0.970 kg for a female leopard to 4.493 kg for a male lion. The mean apparent DM digestibility ranged from 0.854 to 0.957. Nutrients such as CP, lipid and GE had very high apparent digestibility coefficients by the predators ranging from 0.919 to 0.977 for CP, 0.983 to 0.995 for lipid and 0.918 to 0.967 for GE respectively. The apparent digestibility of minerals (ash) was lower ranging from 0.310 to 0.853. From this analysis the conclusion could be made that there is no statistical difference between the lions, leopards and cheetahs in this study in terms of the apparent digestibility of fresh food, dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), lipids, minerals and gross energy (GE). This study also confirmed that large African predators obtain a considerable amount of water from their diets. The use of apparent digestibility coefficients for fresh food and DM can be a very useful method to estimate the actual food intake (on a fresh or DM basis) of carnivores. If the information is available and the techniques described are applied judiciously, it might be possible to estimate the food and nutrient intake of large African predators. Evaluation of the nutritional status of large African predators during the different physiological stages of their lives in a non-invasive manner will thus be possible. It will also provide scientific support to devise adequate, sustainable and holistic management practices to preserve both the large African carnivores and the environment that supports their existence.Afrikaans: Die langtermyn doel van hierdie studie van die kwantitatiewe voeding van groot Afrika roofdiere was die ontwikkeling van nie-indringende. tegnieke vir die akkurate bepaling van die voedselinname en skynbare voedingstof verteerbaarheid deur vrylewende roofdiere. Die spesifieke doelstellings van hierdie studie was die: • ontwikkeling van nie-indringende tegnieke vir die bepaling van die skynbare verteerbaarheid van vars, ongeprosesseerde voedsel deur drie groot Afrika roofdierspesies. • bepaling van die skynbare droëmateriaal (DM) verteerbaarheid van tipiese karnivoordiëte in terme van DM, ruproteïen (RP), minerale, lipiede en bruto-energie (BE). • insameling van inligting rondom die verteringsvermoë en die water retensie in hierdie drie spesies groot Afrika roofdiere. • skep van 'n basis vir die ontwikkeling van 'n tegniek vir die bepaling van die voedselinname op 'n voedingstofvlak deur vrylewende groot Afrika roofdiere. Hierdie studie is in die Bloemfontein Dieretuin op pare manlike- en vroulike Afrika roofdiere in gevangenskap uitgevoer naamlik; Afrika leeus (Panthera leo), luiperds (panthera pardus) en jagluiperds (Acinonyx jubatus). Alhoewel die studie op roofdiere in gevangenskap gedoen is, is die tegnieke op so 'n wyse ontwikkel dat die beginsels toepaslik sal wees in die onbeheerbare omgewing van vrylewende roofdiere. Die studie, bestaande uit 16 volledige inname- en verteringstudies is met 'n manlike- en vroulike dier van elk van die drie roofdierspesies uitgevoer en is drie keer herhaal. Die toetsdiëte het uit gedeeltes van die ledemate van volwasse donkies (Equus asinus) of 'n perd (Equus cabal/us) bestaan. Die toetskarkasporsies het uit twee simmetriese en identiese gedeeltes of snitte wat in verskillende gedeeltes opgedeel is bestaan, bv. die twee voorbene of agterbene afkomstig van dieselfde karkas. Een karkasporsie is aan 'n spesifieke roofdier gevoer as toetsdieet en die spieëlbeeldkarkasporsie is bewaar vir voedingstofanalise in die laboratorium. Die toetsdiëte is met mieliepitte (Zea mays) as eksterne merker gemerk om die misidentifikasie en -kolleksies te vergemaklik. Totale miskolleksies sowel as kolleksies van die voerreste is na 'n voeding gemaak. Die inname en skynbare verteerbaarheid van die vars voedsel, DM en voedingstowwe is bepaal met behulp van standaard laboratorium tegnieke. Die resultate van die inname en . verteringstudies met die Afrika leeus, luiperds en jagluiperds het aangetoon dat hierdie karnivore goed aangepas is tot die inname en vertering vleis. Gemiddelde DM innames het gestrek van 0.970 kg vir die luiperdwyfie tot 4.493 kg vir die leeumannetjie. Die gemiddelde skynbare DM verteerbaarheid het van 0.854 tot 0.957 gestrek. Baie hoë skynbare verteerbaarheidskoëffisiënte vir voedingstowwe soos RP, lipiede en BE is deur die roofdiere behaal en het gestrek vanaf 0.919 tot 0.977 vir RP, 0.983 tot 0.995 vir lipiede en 0.918 tot 0.967 vir BE respektiewelik. Die skynbare verteerbaarheid van minerale (as) was laer en het gestrek vanaf0.310 tot 0.853. Vanaf die data analise kon die gevolgtrekking gemaak word dat daar geen statistiese verskille tussen die drie roofdier spesies in terme van skynbare verteerbaarhede van vars voedsel, droëmateriaal (DM), ruproteïen (RP), lipiede, minerale en bruto-energie (GE) was nie. Hierdie studie bevestig ook dat groot Afrika -roofdiere 'n aansienlike hoeveelheid water vanaf hulle dieet verkry. Die gebruik van skynbare verteerbaarheidskoëffisiënte vir vars voedsel en DM kan baie nuttig wees as 'n metode vir die beraming van voedselinname (i.t.v. vars of 'n DM-basid). Indien die inligting beskikbaar is en die tegnieke soos beskryf verstandig gebruik word, mag dit moontlik wees om die voedsel- en DM-inname sowel as die voedingstofinname van groot Afrika roofdiere te beraam. Dit salons in staat stelom op 'n nie-indringende wyse die voedingsstatus van groot Afrika-roofdiere in 'n verskeie fisiologiese stadia te evalueer en om wetenskaplike ondersteuning te verskaf vir die afleiding van geskikte, holistiese en volhoubare bestuurspraktyke om sodoende beide die groot Afrika roofdiere en die omgewing wat hulle bestaan onderhou te bewaar.enIntake and digestibility studiesApparent digestibilityFood intakeWater intakeCaptive large predatorsAfrican lion (Panthera leo)Leopard (Panthera pardus)Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)Carcass compositionNutrient contentFaecal excretionCaptive wild animals -- Feeding and feedsDissertation (M.Sc.Agric. (Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences))--University of the Free State, 2002DissertationUniversity of the Free State