Vitamin and Mineral Mysteries in our Rhinos Under Managed Care: Q and A on Rhino Nutrition

Vitamin and Mineral Mysteries in our Rhinos Under Managed Care: Q and A on Rhino Nutrition

8 pm December 18th

Dr. Katie Sullivan serves the Rhino TAG and Rhino Research Council as Nutrition Advisor, and has since 2016. Katie is contacted often by rhino holders for nutrition advice, and works to evaluate current feeding practices and their impact on rhino health and welfare. She also consults with about 4 co-advisors (Dr. Ellen Dierenfeld, Dr. Marcus Clauss, Dr. Shana Lavin and Barbara Henry) when reviewing rhino proposals for RRC. She is also president-elect of the Comparative Nutrition Society, and works full time at Disney’s Animal Kingdom overseeing nutrition for their rhinos. Recently, she identified a vitamin problem due to supply chain issues with ingredients used for our rhino feeds, and has worked with the major feed supplier to correct the issue, as well as over 25 institutions who have experienced the issue in their animals.

She hopes to use this session with IRKA to briefly review the recent issue, highlight vitamin and mineral concerns with our rhinos under human care, and answer any nutrition related questions from the IRKA membership she can in the time available. Katie is passionate about the importance of what and how we feed our rhinos impacting their long term health and overall welfare. She is excited to reconnect with IRKA and support you all and your quirky, picky, sassy, hungry, incredible rhinos.