Choice of feeding mode appears to depend on the protein content of available fodder. One disease study cited 81 events that were traced to a nutritional etiology. Several deaths were considered to have malnutrition as a contributing factor with calcium deficiency cited in two cases and Vitamin E deficiency cited in two cases. Two adult elephants that died had post-mortem lesions associated with Vitamin E deficiency which were considered to be contributory to the deaths. The following three diets were found to be closest to the NRC recommended requirements.
Diets are adult maintenance diets on a per elephant basis.
The biggest discrepancies are with protein, Calcium, Iron and Vitamin E and these supplements should be added to bring values up to standard. Hay was determined to have been fed in equal portions of the three types. All calculations, therefore, were based on 13.3 Kilograms of each type of hay on a daily basis. Calcium levels, Vit. E levels and Iron levels are all questionable.