Exploring the Nutritional Potential of Wild Grass Fodder for Mega Herbivore (Elephas maximus) in the Foothills of Western Ghats

Abstract

An elephant, being a mega herbivore, consumes large amounts of food. Due to the lack of availability of fodder inside the forest, the elephants move out of their habitat areas and also find agricultural crops attractive, which further results in man–animal conflict. To improve the elephant habitat area, the current study was conducted to assess the availability of native fodder grasses inside the Coimbatore Elephant Reserve, Western Ghats, from April 2021–April 2022. The area falls between 10°37′and 11°31′ North latitudes and 76°39′and 77°5′ East longitudes. It was approached in a systematic random sampling method. A total of 128 sample plots of 1sq.m size were randomly placed, and the density of grass species was recorded in percentage (%). The collected samples were shade dried for one week, ground to pass through a 1 mm sieve, and stored in polythene bags. Furthermore, the samples were chemically analyzed to determine their nutritional values. The dry matter (DM) content of various grass fodder varied from 28.18% to 59.75%. The crude protein (CP) content differed between 5.94% and 11.94%. The highest CP was recorded in Cynodon dactylon (11.94%) and the least in Aristida setacea (5.94%). Ether extract content was found in the ranges of 1.00% to 5.00%. The acid detergent fibre (ADF) content of Aristida setacea (45.74%) was observed as the highest, whereas the lowest was observed in Oplismenus burmannii (26.78%), followed by Themeda triandra (26.85%), Heteropogon contortus (30.12%) and Enteropogon monostachyos (30.31%). The average neutral detergent fibre content of grass fodder was 52.27%, with a range of 37.89% (Oplismenus burmannii) to 67.87% (Cymbopogon martinii). The average total digestible nutrient (TDN) content of grass was 77.45%; relative forage quality (RFQ) exhibited wider variations among the grasses and ranged between 107.51 and 198.83. This study is a pioneer in evaluating the nutritional values of native grass fodder species for elephants in the Western Ghats. The study gives strategies for the selection of high nutritive fodder grass for the habitat improvement of elephants, and it also provides scientific and baseline information for the conservation of native grass fodder species in the Western Ghats.

Seasonal patterns of oxidative stress markers in captive Asian elephants in Thailand and relationships to elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus shedding

“…Dietary intake of protein also can increase albumin concentrations in humans ( 82 , 83 ). The diet of elephants consists primarily of grasses (e.g., Napier grass), which have a relatively low protein content (<10%) ( 61 , 84 ). Thus, the combination of low-protein foodstuffs with a higher fluid load during the rainy season may contribute to the relatively lower serum albumin concentrations observed during this period.…”

Influence of High-Voltage Corona Discharge on Drying Kinetics and Physicochemical Properties of Alfalfa at Various Air-Gap Spacings

“…Moreover, when considering the air-gap spacing, a maximum peak intensity was achieved at 7 cm, with similar intensities observed between 8.5 cm and 10 cm. bandry [44,45]. As depicted in Figure 10, when the electrode distance was 7 cm, the alfalfa exhibited the highest RFQ value.…”

“…Relative forage quality serves as a crucial indicator of forage quality, with higher RFQ values indicating superior quality and promoting sustainable development in animal husbandry [44,45]. As depicted in Figure 10, when the electrode distance was 7 cm, the alfalfa exhibited the highest RFQ value.…”

Nutritional Status of Wood Melick (Melica uniflora Retz.) in a Natural Forest Stand in South-Western Poland

“…They have a significant role in the nutrition of wildlife and domesticated species, mainly ruminants [1]. Wild grasses supplement forage resources, improve herbivore productivity in natural forests, and are a potentially good protein supplement, especially during critical periods of the year with scant quality and quantity of grass [2][3][4][5]. Knowledge of the forage value of wild grasses enables us to improve the condition of natural wildlife habitats [6].…”

“…The grasses that make up the sward of traditional grasslands are well recognized, and as shown by studies, individual species vary in chemical composition. For instance, in terms of CP content, the amounts can range from 107-166 g•kg −1 of dry matter in species growing in Europe [8,9] and 59.4-119.4 g•kg −1 of dry matter in grasses in humid and mountainous areas of the west coast of the Indian Peninsula [2] to 97-124 g•kg −1 [10] in dry and extremely hot areas of the Arabian Peninsula. Chemical composition and the resulting forage value are also related to soil pH and nutrient abundance [10][11][12], the course of weather conditions (amount and distribution of precipitation and air temperature) [13], and the developmental stage of plants [14].…”