Comparison of Food Preference and Nutrients in Captive Stumptailed Macaques of Different Sexes
It is important that the food provided to animals should contain all the essential nutrients required for the growth and development of animals. This experiment was planned to generate the information to understand the food selection and nutrients available in the food of captive stump tailed macaques in the Zoo. The study aimed to assess spontaneous food preferences and its relation with nutrient availability in the food items by animals of the study group. The study was conducted at Aizawl Zoological Park where three individuals each of captive adult males, dry females and lactating females of stump tailed macaques were repeatedly presented (n=10) with all possible binary combinations of 7 types of food that are part of the monkey’s diet in captivity using 2-alternative choice test. Experiment for the choice of food item was performed at 900, 1200, and 1500 hour, across a day. The rank of preference for the food items across the day was uniform (p>0.05).Correlation analysis showed significant positive correlation between the food preference ranking and the unsaturated fatty acid content and vitamin K content of the food (p<0.05), in case of adult males. There is also a significant correlation between food preference and protein content and unsaturated fatty acid content in dry females. A significant correlation between food preference and the content of lipids and magnesium was found in lactating females.