Lettuce Pray

I went to the grocery store after work today.  In a semi-successful attempt to eat healthier, I first swung by the produce section - where I immediately beheld a giant hole.  That hole (okay, more of an empty space, really) was the giant shelving unit that customarily held greens and bagged salads, most of which was made up of romaine.  With the recall of romaine spurred by fears of E. coli, it looked like salad was off the menu for the night.



No problem.  I was only lukewarm on my commitment to better eating that night.  I have other options.  I can think of a few animals that don't, however.

My diet notwithstanding, the lettuce recall has been a giant pain for feeding animals at my zoo.  After a lot of hemming and hawing, we ended up composting what we had and striking fresh romaine from our next produce order.  Instead, we ended up substituting as best as we could.  The thing is, lettuce (and at this time some authorities are saying to avoid all greens) is really the best substitute we have for leaves for folivorous (leaf-eating) mammals, from iguanas to colobus monkeys.

Of course, this is a nation-wide problem, so zoos across the nation are having to deal with it.  Some are gambling on non-romaine lettuces and greens.  Some are relying more on hay or browse.  And some are feeding extra of everything else and hoping that this moves along soon before any quirky dietary hiccups emerge. 

I, for one, am ready for this to be over, and so are my animals.  I never thought I'd miss the sight of a head of lettuce so much...

Topeka Zoo changes animal diets over romaine lettuce recall

Kansas City Zoo removes romaine lettuce from animal diets after recall

Lettuce recall impacts Nashville Zoo