Feeding practicalities
In this section, suggestions are made for the feeding schedule and presentation of food for captive okapi. These suggestions are made bearing in mind the digestive physiology and feeding behaviour of this species.
Feeding schedule
Okapi, being browsers, are adapted to eat on a little-and-often basis (Hummel 2006b). A captive diet should support this natural behaviour for gut health and overall well-being. Forage (lucerne hay and/or browse) and water should be available to animals at all times, and renewed at least twice per day (DeRosa et al. 2004). The pelleted portion of the diet should be offered in several small meals throughout the day, rather than in one or two large meals (DeRosa et al. 2004).
Food presentation
The way in which food is presented to okapi is important. Feed and water bowls should be place in several locations around the indoor and outdoor enclosures, ensuring that no one animal can monopolise all of the resources (DeRosa et al. 2004). Bowls should be a height which is appropriate for this species, raised off the floor at a height of approximately 76 cm (okapi find it physically difficult to eat from the floor (DeRosa et al. 2004). Browse and lucerne hay can be fed from a height higher than 76 cm for adult animals (DeRosa et al. 2004). Bowls should have a smooth, rounded finish to reduce the risk of injury to the animals (DeRosa et al. 2004).
In order to promote natural feeding behaviours, food should be presented in a way in which the animal has to spend time manipulating it (DeRosa et al. 2004). Easily processed, quickly consumed food has been implicated in the development of stereotypy in okapi (Bashaw et al. 2001), and presenting food in a way which makes the animal spend time working at getting at it can be enriching for the animals (DeRosa et al. 2004). This can be achieved by:
In order to promote natural feeding behaviours, food should be presented in a way in which the animal has to spend time manipulating it (DeRosa et al. 2004). Easily processed, quickly consumed food has been implicated in the development of stereotypy in okapi (Bashaw et al. 2001), and presenting food in a way which makes the animal spend time working at getting at it can be enriching for the animals (DeRosa et al. 2004). This can be achieved by:
- Placing food in novel areas around the enclosure, encouraging the animals to move around and search for the food.
- Placing food in dispensers which make the animal work at it with its tongue. Fig. 1 displays a suitable feeding device being used by giraffe; this could easily be adapted for use in okapi.
- Providing the animal with plentiful browse; animals have to use their lips and tongues to strip the leaves and bark from the branches, lengthening feeding time (DeRosa et al. 2004).
- Placing lucerne hay into small holed haynets or behind mesh to encourage manipulation with the lips and tongue, prolonging feeding time,