Feeding Bushbaby

Bushbaby is an alert leaper and run swiftly along branches. They live in Africa and in nearby islands including Zanzibar. They tend to live in savannah regions and in dry woodland regions. These animals are small primates with woolly thick fur. They are silvery grey and dark brown in color.

Bushbaby has large eyes, giving them good night vision. They possess strong hind limbs and long tail which helps them to balance. Their ears are made up of four segments. Bushbaby reproduces twice a year, at the beginning and end of the rains.

In the wild bush babies eat fruit, nectar and insects and some species are specially adapted to eat gum and resin. In captivity, they need a good variety of chopped fruit and vegetables together with plenty of insects such as crickets, locusts, mealworms, stick insects and wax moths. They should also have a constant supply of primate cubes and a variety of baby foods. Canned foods are fine, as are rusk’s soaked in milk or milk and glucose, though not all bush babies will take milk. Multivitamin supplements must be added to the food on alternate days, and they must be given a few drops of cod liver oil on a chunk of whole meal bread, or on fruit, once a week. A multivitamin compound such as Vionate may be obtained from your vet. Clean water must always be available.

Feeding bushbaby

Bushbabies are omnivorous. During rainy season they eat insects such as caterpillars and dung beetles. They are quick enough to catch mice and lizards. Bushbaby attacks bird’s nests for eggs. They eat pollen, fruits and flowers and honey from wild bees as well.

In dry season, their diet changes as food become scarce. They feed on resin of acacia and albizzia trees.

Primate biscuits, fruit, yogurt and a slice of ZooPreem primate can also be served to the bushbabies.