Carla to check the smell
Do you know the feeding method called "Totai feeding"? In recent years, the number of zoos that feed this carcass is increasing. At Tobu Zoo in Saitama Prefecture, it is said that it is carried out for cats. This time, I decided to interview because it is said that the white tiger will be fed the carcass on the closed days. See related images Carcass feeding is simply a diet that feeds animal meat as is. Do not chop or mix with other foods to make it easier to eat. In the wild, they eat their prey on the spot, and try to reproduce a similar diet (as much as possible) in captivity. ◆ Purpose and meaning of slaughter feeding Tobu Zoo is said to have started slaughter feeding in 2021. There are generally two reasons for carrying out carcass feeding. One is measures against crop damage caused by the increased number of wild animals. The other is to manage the health of carnivorous animals and improve their QOL. Due to the extinction and decrease of predators (there are no animals that prey on Yakushima on Yakushima) and the decrease in the living area, damage to agricultural products of deer and wild boar has become a serious problem. According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the amount of damage has reached 16.1 billion yen and is still increasing. Animals with a large number of individuals are targeted for extermination, but final disposal is also an issue. In addition to consumption by game meat (meat), carcass feeding is also attracting attention. Natural meat is also a nutritional diet with an excellent balance of protein, fat and minerals. Meat with fur and bones can be expected to awaken the instincts of captive animals and release stress. The diet at the zoo is nutritionally balanced and calorie controlled. It is easy to eat and chopped, but on the other hand, it is less irritating to animals and may reduce motivation for eating. ◆ Venison for feeding venison to Yakushima Tobu Zoo is provided by Yakushima Jibie Kingdom, a specialist company that handles venison. When the garden started thinking about carcass feeding, it happened that the company offered to offer it. After consulting, he showed an understanding of the situation at the zoo and received a reply that processing for feeding carcasses was also possible. It is said that he will immediately ask for cooperation. The zoo hopes that the skeleton (other than the skull), fur, limbs, hooves, etc. of the carcass will remain the same. However, it is said that the blood has been drained and the head and internal organs have been removed and frozen. Blood removal and removal of internal organs are to prevent putrefaction. He says he doesn't have much to eat in his head. Heat treatment for sterilization is performed before feeding to animals. According to Mr. Kenta Kitahama, who is in charge of cats and other departments in the same garden, "In the wild, we prey on animals that live in that environment, but in captivity, we give them raw meat from animals in different habitats and environments. There is a risk of stomach upset and infections, as visceral removal and sterilization have been identified in the past. " The heat treatment can be sterilized in about 1 minute at high temperature (72 degrees), but the meat will be cooked and hardened or its freshness will be impaired. Therefore, at the same garden, "preparation is done slowly at a temperature of about 63 degrees for 3 to 4 hours" (Mr. Kitahama). This allows sterilization while leaving lean meat. ◆ The appearance of eating with caution is just like the wild appearance. On the day of the interview, one slaughtered deer was prepared, and two white tigers, Carla and Sugar, were given half each. Venison is left in the exhibition space as it is. If the door of the animal house is opened in this state, a tiger will come out and it will be meal time. First it's Carla's turn. Immediately notice the existence of venison and rush to check the smell. However, he seemed to be wary for a moment, perhaps because he was concerned about the existence of the camera. However, he immediately started running with meat in his mouth. It's like taking it to your favorite place to eat. I thought I would bite at once, but at first I started licking meat with my tongue. Even if it is licked, it is the tongue of a large beast of the cat family, so the meat is scraped off firmly. Gradually, I started to bite my bones. At the end, I was enjoying the venison with bones while making a "gritty" sound. The other sugar was eaten in a cage in the backyard. As with the exhibitions, tigers that act almost independently are said to be individual exhibitions and meals. Perhaps because of the place of meal or because of his personality, Sugar was raising his face many times while eating to check the surroundings. He even opened his mouth and showed a menacing expression from time to time. According to Mr. Kitahama, it's a special bait, so he's wondering if anyone can steal it. ◆ Effect of feeding the carcass It can be seen that both of them are cheerful by adding meat and running around or jumping. That's how happy I am and how excited I am to eat. "A normal meal takes about 5 minutes, but with carcass feeding, I spend about an hour enjoying the meal. I leave almost no bones, leaving fine pieces of fur and hoofs." ( Mr. Kitahama) However, it is not possible to obtain abundant Jibie meat, and it seems that once a month is a guideline for feeding slaughtered meat in the same garden. Not all tigers and lions have it at once. However, hunting is not successful every day in the wild, so the frequency of every few months will be unavoidable. The big beasts of the cat family are looking forward to it, and the more they find it happy, the more effective the carcass feeding is. For both humans and tigers, enjoying meal time seems to be the key to a healthy and long-lived life.
REANIMAL Shinji Nakao
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