Zoo database

Brown bear

Ursus arctos

Natuurlijk dieet Brown bear

The brown bear is an omnivorous species with a very diverse diet. For example, they feed on mammals and fish but also plants, berries and more are consumed. Food intake increases during spring/summer months to accumulate enough fat because of hibernation during the winter period.

Fish
Fish
Grain / seeds
Grain / seeds
Grasses
Grasses
Insects
Insects
Invertebrates / crustaceans
Invertebrates / crustaceans
Leaves
Leaves
Vertebrates
Vertebrates

Voedingsadvies Brown bear

Voerhoeveelheid per dag

18%

Voorbeeld van procentberekening

Als een dier 250 kg weegt en 18% van zijn lichaamsgewicht eet, krijgt het
 
250 x 0,18 = 45 kg voer in totaal per dag

Voedersamenstelling

15% Vlees en hele prooidieren
5% Visproducten
2% Concentraten
60% Bladgroenten en kolen
10% Andere groenten
8% Overig

Verhoudingen (vers product)

0,15 x 45 kg = 6.750 g vlees en hele prooidieren
0,05 x 45 kg = 2.250 g visproducten
0,02 x 45 kg = 900 g concentraten
0,6 x 45 kg = 27.000 g bladgroenten en kolen
0,1 x 45 kg = 4.500 g andere groenten
0,08 x 45 kg = 3.600 g overig

Dieetadviezen

Aanbevolen

Variety of whole prey
Variety of meat
Variety of leafy and cabbage vegetables

Niet aanbevolen

Fruits


Veelvoorkomende ziekten

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

  • Arthritis and Skeletal Disease
  • Dental Disease
  • Urolithiasis

Aanvullend advies

  • Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least three feeding moments per day.
  • More frequent feeding with smaller portion of food more closely matches the natural feeding behaviour.
  • The diet should be very diverse to resemble the natural range of plants and food types consumed.
  • Bears have different nutritional needs every season. Although fasting days are inappropriate for bears in captivity, the diet should be adapted accordingly to the activity levels to avoid obesity (read more about seasonal fluctuations and hibernation).
  • To promote the oral health, it is important to offer the soft food first and then the hard food such as bones and skin.
  • Stimulate foraging behaviour by hiding, stacking or hanging the feed (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).