Zoo diet lowers rhino birth?
Cute baby white rhino with its mama.
Zoos may be welcoming fewer baby rhinos into the world in the future: Their reproductive rates are dropping drastically because of medical problems. New research suggests their zoo diet could be playing a role in the drop in babies and increase in disease. The zoo diet contains relatively high levels of estrogenlike compounds from plants (called phytoestrogens), which might be contributing to reproductive failure in the females, according to the new study published in the April issue of the journal Endocrinology. "Understanding why the captive white rhinoceros population has been dwindling for decades is an important part of protecting the future of this species," study researcher Christopher Tubbs, a scientist with the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, said in a statement. "Our work is the first step toward determining if phytoestrogens are involved in this phenomenon and whether we need to reevaluate captive white rhino diets." Other theories have been put forth to explain reproductive problems in females raised in captivity, including the female rhinos' constant close proximity to potential mates (rather than meet-ups for breeding) and suppression of their fertility from living alongside other females; however, these don't hold up, said Heather Patisaul, an assistant professor from North Carolina State University who wasn't involved in the research.
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