Fruit-heavy diet makes Melbourne Zoo animals fat, rots their teeth
- 6 years ago
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — Animals at the Melbourne Zoo are dealing with obesity and bad teeth, thanks to a fruit-heavy diet that's chock full of sugar.
Fruits may be a vital component to a healthy human diet, according to an Australian government report, but the same cannot be said for animals, who are getting serious problems after a trip on the fruit train, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
The problem is that cultivated fruits have been genetically modified to be sweeter than their wild counterparts.
Some, like plums, have nearly double the sugar level nature intended.
Animals love the sugary treats, but end up eating only those and nothing else, which not only plumps them up, but also rots their teeth.
To save the poor buggers from their sweet tooth, keepers are swapping out the fruit for green leafy veggies.
They're also serving up "panda pellets" packed with nutrients and minerals to the red pandas. The pellets are mixed in with a little bit of pear, which gets them the red panda seal of approval.
Bottom line is, whether you're human or animal, it's always best to have a balanced diet.
Fruits may be a vital component to a healthy human diet, according to an Australian government report, but the same cannot be said for animals, who are getting serious problems after a trip on the fruit train, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
The problem is that cultivated fruits have been genetically modified to be sweeter than their wild counterparts.
Some, like plums, have nearly double the sugar level nature intended.
Animals love the sugary treats, but end up eating only those and nothing else, which not only plumps them up, but also rots their teeth.
To save the poor buggers from their sweet tooth, keepers are swapping out the fruit for green leafy veggies.
They're also serving up "panda pellets" packed with nutrients and minerals to the red pandas. The pellets are mixed in with a little bit of pear, which gets them the red panda seal of approval.
Bottom line is, whether you're human or animal, it's always best to have a balanced diet.