According to a recent study, many European chimpanzees have low vitamin D levels, which could have a significant negative effect on their health.
The journal Scientific Reports has published the study, which is the largest of its kind. According to the authors, this study will contribute to improving feeding and care procedures for these threatened creatures.
Some individuals refer to vitamin D insufficiency as a pandemic that could affect up to 1 billion people worldwide. It is generally known that vitamin D plays a crucial role in preserving the body’s calcium levels, which are necessary for the proper operation of the bones and muscles. But vitamin D has a much wider range of biological functions, and chronic vitamin D deficiency has been linked to cancer, autoimmune diseases, respiratory infections, and heart problems in people.
In non-human primates, little is known about vitamin D. An international team of experts has established a pan-European study project to look into this in our closest animal cousins, involving academics from the Universities of Nottingham, Birmingham, St. George’s, and Hong Kong, as well as zoo vets from Twycross and Perth zoos.
The worldwide study discovered that European chimpanzees generally have low amounts of vitamin D. So, this could be a risk factor for the heart condition IMF, or idiopathic myocardial fibrosis, which affects many people and is hard to figure out.
The same research team earlier conducted a thorough investigation into IMF and discovered that while animals from Africa were unaffected, the majority of European chimpanzees displayed the disease’s hallmark characteristics.
University of Birmingham researcher Dr. Melissa Grant stated, “This study is crucial to the future of the species because it will help researchers better understand the elements that contribute to keeping a healthy chimpanzee population in captivity. There have never been as many people and places investigated, and this raises the possibility of brand-new approaches to animal care. ”
The scientists examined samples from about 20% of the European chimpanzees during the investigation. When the animals were put under anesthesia for health checkups or minor veterinarian treatments, samples were opportunistically taken from 32 European zoos and sanctuaries. Researchers looked at the samples and detailed information about how each animal was cared for, where it lived, and what it did to get vitamin D. They did this to figure out what factors might be important for an animal to get vitamin D.
As an assistant professor at the University of St. George’s, Sophie Moittié, who initially oversaw the study at Twycross Zoo, said: “Numerous human diseases and vitamin D levels are directly correlated. Since chimpanzees and humans share 99% of our DNA, we must presume that they could also be in danger. It is our duty to see to it that they receive the best care so that we may protect them in the future. ”
Their research demonstrates that even for animals residing in Northern Europe, where sunny days are infrequent compared to their native African habitat, unlimited outside access led to greater vitamin D levels. Like in humans, there were distinct seasonal variations in vitamin D levels, and for many chimpanzees, the concentrations at the end of summer may not be sufficient to prevent a winter shortage. Like the local humans, even European chimpanzees in Southern Europe run the risk of developing vitamin D deficiency.
Now that these discoveries have been made, they will change how these animals are treated in zoos and wildlife refuges, helping to keep welfare standards high.
Professor Kate White from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham said, “This is a great example of how clinical research can change best practices. These captive animals may need free access to the outdoors more than we thought before.”
“Adequate Vitamin D levels are vital for the health of chimpanzees in our care,” said Professor Kerstin Baiker, the study’s lead pathologist from the City University of Hong Kong. “Vitamin D plays an important role in the transcriptional control of pro-fibrogenic and pro-inflammatory factors in the body.”
The importance of vitamin D is now recognized as being quite profound, despite the fact that it was once believed to be crucial mainly for bone health. In humans and other animals, hundreds, if not thousands, of biological processes depend on its existence, and a deficiency in this vitamin may play a significant role in the development of many common diseases today. Understanding these traits in other great apes can be extremely beneficial for their conservation, and we might also gain crucial lessons for ourselves.
