Kiumbe, the male lion at the Barcelona Zoo, eats 3.6 kilos of meat every day. Her companions Run-Run, Nima and Zala need a little less: 2.8 kilos. There are 200 different species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates living in the zoo in the Catalan capital, and a customized menu is designed for each of them. The zoo's head of conservation, Jordi Hernández, is the person most responsible for the feeding of all these animals, which on many occasions – such as the case of the rhinoceros Pedro who died after having surpassed half a century – achieve longevity records. “The keepers know absolutely everything about the animals. What does each one need, what can they eat… from here we configure the different diets of all of them,” he explains. EL PAÍS has accessed the kitchens where the rations are prepared.
The facility's team of biologists and veterinarians studies and determines the diets of all species to ensure good health. It also personalizes (or animalizes) the diets for each of the specimens according to their own needs. The menus are constantly updated based on the experience of Zoo workers with the advice of nutritionists specializing in wildlife.
Hernández assures that the diet that these animals would maintain, in freedom, would be composed of more fiber and less sugars and starches. “Looking ahead to next year, we will reduce the purchase of fruit and increase the amount of vegetables,” admits Hernández, who has modified the menus, gradually increasing the contribution of vegetables to ensure that it is as close to the needs of these species.
Every year, the Zoo's animals consume a total of 66,000 kilos of fruit and 150,000 kilos of vegetables. Only clean, healthy-looking pieces with a firm texture and no bumps are offered. It is all purchased in Mercabarna and in companies that participate in public tenders to supply the municipally owned park. Feeding the animals accounts for 800,000 euros per year in the budget. The meat comes from approved slaughterhouses and is always prevented from having any other treatment other than refrigeration. The fish is always frozen and, like the rest of the products, must be suitable for human consumption.
There are also foods that are somewhat more exotic in the eyes of humans, such as worms or mice that are never delivered alive to the animals. These more specific products are provided by companies dedicated to the breeding of this type of animals intended to feed larger ones in different zoological centers.
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The shopping list also includes nuts, honey, yogurt, jellies, butter… which are used as rewards in certain veterinary training and check-ups. They are never rewarded with sugar or added to food.
In the kitchen of the aviary, two workers from the Barcelona park rush to peel papayas and other ingredients. It's time to give the birds a little reinforcement. Every day, a macaw eats 75 grams of seeds, two California walnuts, two almonds, two peanuts, 30 grams of feed, a slice of corn, a quarter of a carrot and a quarter of another fruit. The operators know it inside out and cut and distribute the quantities on trays in an almost mechanical way.
The three elephants – Susy, Yoyo and Bulli – each eat between 50 and 60 kilos of forage a day. The 22 penguins gobble, together, 15 to 20 kilos of fish in that same period. A male gorilla eats 15 kilos of vegetables, legumes, feed and nuts.
The primate curator, Iñaki Ezquerro, discovered that at the London Zoo they hid small edible prizes in metal boxes so that the chimpanzees could exercise and “find social well-being.” He has copied the idea and those in Barcelona are already waiting for the placement of these boxes. Inside they have hidden some dried fruit and pieces of fresh fruit. Now Ezquerro is studying how to adapt these boxes to the different primates at the zoo.
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