Gummy Vitamins Aren’t Just For Kids!

It’s been reported that nearly half of all U.S. adults take a daily vitamin regiment to make up for the vitamins we are lacking in our diet. In fact, according to a recent USDA report, most Americans are consuming too few fruits and vegetables, high-fiber whole grains, seafood, and low-fat milk and dairy products. All of which are crucial to ensuring that we’re getting essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Humans are not the only ones who use vitamins to balance out their diets; animals need a little balancing every now and then as well.

Our gorilla troop is unique. They have transitioned to a chow-free diet over the past year to a diet consisting of salad (the biggest portion of all Cheyenne Mountain Zoo animals) supplemented by several key vitamins. Below are examples of the vitamins and supplements our orangutans and gorillas receive along with a brief explanation of why they are beneficial.

• Emcelle tocopherol or vitamin E is used as a basic supplement in the gorillas’ diets.
• Flax oil is included in the gorillas’ daily regiment to help keep their skin healthy.
• Our silverback gorilla, Rafiki, is given cod liver oil on a daily basis to help keep his heart healthy.
• Calcium is traditionally given to nursing moms and orangutan females on birth control, to make sure they are getting their required intake.
• Childrens multivitamins are given to all gorillas due to their chow free diet. Godek, our youngest orangutan, is on the multivitamin as well because he is a growing young animal.
• Sumagu, Godek’s mother, receives a Men's One a Day and folic acid because she is still lactating. We use Men’s One a Day for apes because the high levels of iron found in multivitamins formulated for women are not the most beneficial for great apes.
• A Super B complex is given to Juju, one of our Western Lowland gorillas, on a daily basis for normal function of her nervous system. A while back she was curling her toes and limping, these symptoms disappeared with the addition of Super B complex to her vitamin regiment.
• Probiotic or ultimate flora is given to Rafiki and Juju, Western Lowland Gorillas, for inconsistent stools.

The apes receive the vitamins & supplements listed above in a variety of concoctions depending on the consistency of the supplement, the animal, their preferences and their diet restrictions.  Apple sauce and sugar-free fruit drinks are pretty helpful. Roxie, one of our Western Lowland gorillas, will only take her vitamin E with a peanut butter sandwich.  Most animals take the kids' chewable vitamins without any issues, except Kwisha, a Western Lowland gorilla, does not like the childrens' gummy vitamins!

Most zoo animals get vitamins and minerals in their chows, biscuits and grains. Vitamins are also included in some prepared canned foods given to the golden lion tamarins and marmosets.  The meat for our carnivores is specially formulated with vitamins and minerals, and the frogs and toads get their vitamins sprinkled on crickets and other insects.

Un-Coated Crickets

Coated Crickets

Our animals’ vitamin regiment is always changing depending on health issues, pregnancy or possible pregnancy, if the animal is lactating, or laying eggs.  Our vet staff works with our animal keepers to form the best combination of vitamins for each individual animal based on their current health needs.

Please visit out “Bear Necessities” page for more information about how you can help our animals receive their daily dose of vitamins and supplements for as little as $10.