Behind the Scenes: National Zoo Commissary
Mike Maslanka, head nutritionist at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, talks about what it takes to feed 2,000 animals from 400 different species 365 days a year. Each one receives a diet specially designed by National Zoo nutritionists that not only meets their nutrient needs but also encourages them to employ their natural feeding behaviors. The Zoo's commissary is one of the world's largest zoo commissaries and is about half an acre in size. In all, 13 people make up the Zoos nutrition te