Chapter 5: DCP and ME Deficit and Death

According to John Phillipson (1975), the elephant has starved to death during the great drought of 1970-71, when there had been 5 continuous dry months. During this time, it either had not rained at all, or not enough. And during this time, either no fresh green food had grown there at all, or not enough. But according to my findings, many of the 5900 elephants have died already sooner: They died, after there had been 4, 3.5 and even 2.5 dry months in a row.

The elephant and black rhino in Tsavo East N. Park, in Kenya, during the great drought of 1970-71, have starved to death with a full stomach, due to lack of protein and energy. How much protein and energy have they taken in too little, when they died? In other words: At which intake-deficit of digestible crude protein (DCP) and metabolizable energy (ME), compared to their body weight, below maintenance and growth, have the growing and the adult elephant and the adult black rhino died there at the end of the fifth month? How much protein and energy did their food contain during this drought, during each month, at the beginning, the middle and the end of this drought? How much of this protein and energy were they able to digest during each one of these 5 months of drought?

500-kg Elephant Calf. At which DCP intake-deficit the 2-year-old, 500-kg African elephant calf is starving to death, we found out already. They were given food for about 6 months, containing only 5.5% crude protein (CP). They starved to death, due to lack of protein, when their DCP-intake-deficit had reached 70.954 kg (dry wt) or 14.191% of their body weight.

At which intake-deficit of digestible crude protein (DCP) has the young elephant calf, 2 years of age, weighing 500 kg, starved to death in Tsavo East at the end of the fifth dry month? In this model, there are 5 continuous dry months. How much crude protein did the elephant’s food contain during each one of these five dry months? And how much of this crude protein was the elephant calf able to digest?

The crude protein content of the last normal month, before the drought, in June, in Kenya’s grassland was 13.5% CP. The last month in this model is November. The elephant and black rhino in Tsavo East in 1970-71 were starving to death with a full stomach. The food in their stomach contained then only 2% crude protein (CP) or more. Also many black rhinos were starving then to death in Tsavo East.

500-kg Elephant Calf: DCP Deficit and Death

When has the 500-kg elephant calf, about 2 years of age, starved to death, due to lack of digestible crude protein, during the great drought in Tsavo East in 1970-71?

Month. In this model, June is the last normal wet month. There is still enough green fresh food. So, the weaned elephant calf is able to grow up properly. The next 5 months (July-November) are dry. In this model, the young elephant is starving to death with a full stomach, due to lack of digestible crude protein, at the end of the fifth dry month: at the end of November.

%CP dry wt. Percent crude protein in elephant’s food, dry weight. In June, the last wet month, the elephant’s food still contains 13.5% CP and 4.86% DCP (dry wt). During the first dry month, in July, its food contains only 7.5% CP and 4.012% DCP. In August there is 6.27% CP and 2.602% DCP in its food. In September 5.5% CP and 1.565% DCP. In October 3.85% CP and 0.674% DCP.

And in the middle of November 2.6% CP and 0.195% DCP. At the end of November the elephant’s food contains only 2% CP and 0.0% DCP. This means. The elephant is not able anymore, to digest food, containing only 2% CP. More correctly: The microflora in its intestines is not then able anymore, to break down the fibers and to digest the crude protein. The elephant is starving to death with a full stomach, due to lack of protein.

DCPI g/kg^0.75 day. Digestible crude protein intake in gram (dry wt) per kilogram of metabolic body weight per day. In June, the last normal wet month, the elephant has taken in 6.154 g DCP per kilogram of metabolic body weight per day, for growth. That is 1.906 times more, than the adult elephant needs to maintain its body weight or nearly twice as much. In July, the first dry month, the 500-kg elephant calf is taking in then only 4.012 g DCP/kg^0.75 day. In August the animal is taking in only 2.665 g DCP/kg^0.75 day. The elephant is losing now condition. It is slowly starving to death.

DCP g/month. In June, the last rainy month, the 500-kg elephant calf has taken in 19 521 g DCP (dry wt). In June 16 651 g DCP and in November only 796 g DCP.

DCPI g/month needed. In June, with its 30 days, the last wet month, the 500-kg elephant calf in Tsavo East needed (and got) 19 521 g DCP, while growing up. In July, the first dry month, with its 31 days, the elephant baby needed 20 172 g DCP, and so on.

DCP deficit g/month. In July, the first dry month, the elephant baby took in 3521 g DCP too little. And in August it got 9113 g DCP to little. And in November it took in 18 725 g DCP too little. At the end of the 5^th dry month in a row in Tsavo East, the 500-kg elephant calf has taken in then 63 215 g DCP (dry wt) too little. That is 12.643% of its body weight. It is starving now to death with a full stomach, due to lack of protein.

The microflora in its intestines is not able anymore, to break down the hard fiber-wall of the dry plants, containing only 2% crude protein or more. When the elephant is starving to death with a full stomach, the microflora in its intestines is either already too weak, to digest the food, the elephant has eaten, or it has died off.

Comment: The 500-kg African elephant calf, about 2 years of age, was living for 6 months on 5.5% crude protein. The elephant starved to death, due to lack of protein, when it had taken in 72 298 g DCP (dry wt) or 14.46% of its body weight too little. For details see, please, The Mammoth and the Flood (1996) pp. 74-76. The 500-kg elephant calf during the drought in Tsavo East is starving to death with a full stomach, when it has taken in 63 212 g DCP (dry wt) or 12.643% of its body weight too little. That is quite close.

Tsavo East Elephant: DCP Deficit and Death

This means: During the great drought of Tsavo East N. Park in 1970-71, about 5900 elephants have starved to death. They starved to death with a full stomach, when the food, left on their range, was too high in fiber and too low in protein. It contained only 2% crude protein or more. The micro flora in their digestive tract was not able then anymore to break down the fiber of the plants and to digest the protein. When the micro flora in the elephant died, the elephant died also – with a full stomach.

The elephant was starving to death at the end of the 5-month-long drought. He died, when he reached his critical intake-deficit of digestible crude protein. This table shows us, how large this DCP-intake-deficit was after 5 continuously dry months (in kilogram) for the growing and the adult elephant. And it also shows us, at which percentage of the elephant’s body weight this DCP-intake-deficit was reached. We shall need this later on, when trying to find out, how the woolly mammoth would fare in the Far North, if he had tried to live up there in an arctic climate.

500-kg Elephant Calf: DCP Deficit and Death

This means: The 500-kg elephant calf during the great drought of Tsavo East N. Park, Kenya and the food, it is eating then. Month by month, there is less and less digestible crude protein in its food. June is the last normal wet month. The fodder contains 13.5% crude protein. It is still taking in as much digestible crude protein (DCP) as it needs, in order to grow (651 g/day).

In the first dry month, July, the food contains only 7.5% CP. In the middle of November, only 2.6% CP is left in the food. And at the end of November, only 2% CP. The microflora in its digestive tract is not able to digest now anymore this dry brown fodder. That is, it is not able to break down the fiber of the plants and to digest the protein in the plants.

At the end of the 5 dry months, the 500-kg elephant calf is starving to death with a full stomach. It has taken in then 63.215 kg digestible crude protein (DCP) (dry weight) too little. Its DCP-intake-deficit has reached then 12.643 % of its body weight. We shall need this later on, when trying to find out, how long the woolly mammoth would be able to live through the long arctic winter of northern Siberia and Alaska, when feeding up there on dead, brown grass, high in fiber and low in protein (3.8%CP).

500-kg Elephant Calf: ME Deficit and Death

The ME is standing here for metabolizable energy, contained in the elephant’s food. That is energy which can be changed into other substances. The energy contained in aboveground plant matter in the Tropical and Temperate Zone is relatively constant, as botanists found out. It does not decrease as much during the different seasons of the year, like the plant’s crude protein does. But this does not tell us at all, how much of this energy in the plant, the elephant is able to digest and to metabolize (change into other substances). The food in the cranial stomach of elephants, shot in Kenya, contained 4.33 kcal/g. Clemens, E. T. and G. M. O. Maloiy (1982:150).

Crude protein content and the amount of energy, the elephant will be able to digest and to metabolize, when eating a certain food, are closely correlated. This means: The more crude protein and the less crude fiber the fresh green grass contains, the more of the energy, contained in this grass, the animal will be able to digest and to metabolize. And the less crude protein and the more crude fiber the old dry grass contains, the less of this energy the elephant will be able to use.

The adult Asian elephant Jap, which F. G. Benedict (1936) has studied, needed 144 kcal ME/kg^0.75 per day, to maintain her body weight. The growing young elephant, with its 13.5% CP food, needs 1.906 times more digestible and metabolizable energy per metabolic body weight per day, than the adult elephant, with its 3.228 g DCP/kg^0.75 per day.

Thus, 144 kcal ME/kg^0.75 day x 1.906 = 274.52 kcal ME/kg^0.75 day the young growing elephant needs. – How can we find out now, at which intake deficit of metabolizable energy the young 500-kg elephant calf will starve to death at the end of the 5^th dry months, at the end of November, compared to its body weight? – By changing the kilocalories into gram dry matter. One gram of dry plant matter in the elephant’s food contains here 4.33 kcal.

Month. In this model, the elephant calf, weighing 500 kg, is still finding enough to eat in June. This is the last normal wet month before the great drought in Tsavo East in 1970-71. The next 5 months are dry: from the beginning of July till the end of November.

%CP dry wt. The protein content of the elephant’s food during each month is here the same as in the table "500-kg Elephant Calf: DCP Deficit and Death". Protein content and metabolizable energy in the animal’s food are close correlated. Each one depends upon the other one. To metabolize means, to change into other substances. In June, the metabolizable energy intake is still at the elephant’s normal level of growth, also its crude protein intake of 13.5% (dry wt). In July it is 7.5% CP. During the middle of the last dry month, in November, 2.6% CP. And at the end of November it is only 2.0% CP.

ME kcal kg day. During the last normal wet month, in June, the elephant calf is taking in 274 kcal ME/kg^0.75 per day. It is still able to grow. In July the elephant calf is getting only 226 kcal ME/kg^0.75 day. And during the last dry month, in the middle of November, only 11 kcal ME/kg^0.75 day. And at the end of November, the animal is not able to get any metabolizable energy from its food at all anymore, because the microflora in its intestines is now either dead or too week, to break down the wall-fiber of the plants, the elephant has eaten.

ME kcal/day. In June, the 500-kg elephant calf is taking in 28,972 kcal ME per day. That is just as much, as it normally needs, when growing up. In July, it gets 23,896 kcal ME per day. And in November, only 1,163 kcal ME/day.

ME kcal month. In June, with its 30 days, the animal is taking in 869,159 kcal ME. In July 740,794 kcal ME, and in November only 34,893 kcal ME.

ME kcal month needed. In June, the 500-kg elephant calf needs 869,159 kcal ME for growth. And in July, 898,131 kcal ME.

ME deficit kcal month. In July, the first dry month, the 500-kg young elephant has taken in 15,733 kcal ME too little. And in August, it has taken in 406,453 kcal ME too little. And at the end of November, the animal has taken in 2,620,038 kcal ME too little. That means: It starves to death with a full stomach, because the microflora in its digestive tract is not able to digest this food anymore. There are about 4.33 kcal/g in the food of the East African elephant. Hence, 2,620,038 kcal ME : 3.44 kcal/g = 605.090 kg ME. That is 121.018% of the elephant’s body weight.

500-kg Elephant Calf: ME Deficit and Death

This means: The 500-kg elephant during the great drought of Tsavo East N. Park, Kenya, in 1970-71, the food it is taking in then, and how much crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) this food contains. June is the last normal wet month. The elephant calf is still taking in now fresh food with 13.5% crude protein (CP) and 274 kcal ME/kg^0.75 day. That is its normal intake for growth. The next months – July - November -, are dry. There is less and less protein in the food. The less protein there is in the food, the less energy it will be able to get out of it, because both of them are closely correlated

In the middle of November – the 5^th dry month in a row -, there is only 2.6% CP in the food. The elephant calf is taking in then only 11 kcal ME/kg^0.75 per day. That is 25 times less, than it need for growth. At the end of November, there is only 2% crude protein in the food. The animal is not able anymore to digest it. The 500-kg elephant has reached now its critical intake deficit of metabolizable energy of 2,620.038 kcal.

One gram of elephant fodder in Kenya contains 4.33 kcal energy. 2,620.038 kcal ME : 4.33 kcal/g = 605.090 kg ME deficit and death. That is, the elephant calf starves to death with a full stomach, when its ME-intake-deficit has reached 121.018% of its body weight. This will help has us later on, to find out, how long the woolly mammoth would be able to live in the Far North, when trying to live there through the arctic winter.

Tsavo East Elephant: ME Deficit and Death

This means: The elephant during the great drought of Tsavo East N. Park, Kenya, in 1970-71, growing and adult, with different body weights. The elephant died here at the end of 5 continuously dry months, when its intake-deficit of metabolizable energy (ME) had reached a certain amount. The 500-kg elephant calf died with a full stomach, when its ME-intake-deficit had reached 605.090 kg or 121.018 % of its body weight. The 3000-kg adult elephant died, when its ME-intake deficit had reached 1 283.858 kg or 42.795 % of its body weight.

The elephant’s food in Kenya contains 4.33 kal/gram dry matter. The amount of energy, the elephant is able to metabolize from its food, depends upon the amount of digestible crude protein in this food. The less protein the food contains, the less energy the elephant is gain from it. This will help us later on, to find out, how long the woolly mammoth would be able to live in Siberia and Alaska in the arctic winter.

White Rhinoceros: Nutrition

During the great drought in Tsavo East in 1970-71, also many black rhinos have starved to death with a full stomach, together with the elephant. The dry, brown food in its stomach contained then only 2% crude protein or more. The microflora in the digestive tract of the black rhinos was not able to digest this food anymore. That is, the microflora was not able to break down the fiber of the plant and to eat up and digest its protein. When the microorganisms in the rhino’s digestive tract died, the rhino died also.

The black rhinoceros is mainly a browser, as its pointed upper lip shows us. There were then no white rhinoceroses in Tsavo East. The white rhinoceros is mainly a grazer, as its square upper lip shows us. It is very similar in body build and living habits to the Eurasia’s extinct woolly rhinoceros. Both of them are also very similar in their nutritional needs. Thus, we may compare them to each other.

As far as I know, only the maintenance of the adult white rhinoceros has been determined till now. Zoologist David L. Frape and co-workers (1982), Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, and Research & Technology Centre, Cambridge, England, have studied two adult white rhinoceroses (Dicerus simus). Ben, a male, 26 years old, and Beni, a female, 20 years old. Both of them had a body weight of about 1,900 kg. They studied them for 240 days.

Each white rhinoceros took in 14.2 kg dry matter (DM) a day. They were gaining no weight during the trial. They were on maintenance. Thus, the adult white rhinoceros needs 49.343 g DM/kg^0.75 per day for maintenance. Their food contained 8.9% crude protein (CP) (dry wt). There were 89 g CP (dry wt) in1 kg of dry matter. The animals digested 60.5% of the crude protein (dry wt). The adult rhinoceros took in 1.264 kg CP and 0.764 kg digestible crude protein (DCP) per day, when maintaining its body weight. Thus, the white rhinoceros needs 2.657 g DCP/kg^0.75 per day for maintenance.

David L. Frape and co-workers found out: The adult white rhinoceros was at maintenance, was gaining no weight during the trial, when getting 716 kJ DE/kg^0.75 day (= 171 kcal DE/kg^0.75 day). (1982:77).

The digestion of the white rhinoceros is very similar to that of the elephant. Jap, the Asian female elephant, needed 192 kcal DE/kg^0.75 per day, to maintain her body weight, as we found out. Her metabolizable energy was digestible energy x 0.75342. Hence, the 171 kcal DE/kg^0.75 day of the adult white rhinoceros for maintenance is then 129 kcal ME/kg^0.75 day.

Result: The adult white rhinoceros needs 49 g DM, 2.657 g DCP, 171 kcal DE and 129 kcal ME/kg^0.75 day, to maintain its body weight, when standing, eating and walking around a little.

How large and how heavy was Eurasia’s woolly rhinoceros? Several whole skeletons and whole bodies (in the flesh) have been found. Most of the grown woolly rhinoceroses had a shoulder height of about 1.6 meter. At a shoulder height of 1.6 m, the rhinoceros is weighing now up to 1.5 tons (= 1,500 kg). But according to South Africa’s zoologist R. N. Owen-Smith (1988:19), the woolly rhinoceros weighed about 1,100 kg.

At which intake deficit of DCP and ME would the white rhinoceros have starved to death with a full stomach in Tsavo East National Park in 1970-71, if it had lived there instead of the black rhinoceros. That is: We would like to find now out: At which intake-deficit of digestible crude protein and metabolizable energy has the black rhinoceros starved to death during the great drought? We shall study now briefly the adult white rhinoceros, weighing 1,100 kg and 1,500 kg.

1,100-kg adult White Rhinoceros: DCP Deficit and Death

If the adult white rhinoceros, weighing 1,100 kg, had lived during the great drought in Tsavo East in 1970-71: when would it have starved then to death with a full stomach, due to lack of digestible crude protein? What does this table show us?

Month: In this model, June is the last normal month, where it still has rained enough. The next 5 months (July-November) are dry. It has either rained then not at all or not enough.

%CP dry wt. Protein content and its digestibility are closely correlated. During the last normal month, in June, the grass, the rhino is eating, still contains 13.5% crude protein (dry wt). During the first dry month, in July, there is only 7.5% CP in the rhino’s food. And in the middle November, the last dry month, 2.6% CP. And at the end of November, only 2.0% CP. The white rhinoceros (and black rhinoceros) is starving then to death with a full stomach (just like the elephant), due to lack of digestible crude protein (DCP).

DCP g/kg^0.75 day. During the last rainy month, in June, the white rhinoceros is still at maintenance. It is taking in then 2.657 g DCP/kg^0.75 day. During the first dry month, in July, it is getting 2.193 g DCP/kg^0.75 day. It is losing now condition, is slowly starving to death. During the middle of November, the last dry month, the adult white rhinoceros is taking in only 0.107 g DCP/kg^0.75 day. And at the end of November, nothing at all.

DCPI g/day. During the last wet month, in June, while still at maintenance, the 1,100-kg adult white rhinoceros is taking in 507 g DCP/day. In July 419 g DCP/day. And in November only 20 g DCP/day.

DCPI g/month. In June, the last wet month, with its 30 days, the white rhinoceros is taking in 15,225 g DCP (dry wt). That is just as much, as it needs, to maintain its body weight. During the first dry month, in July, with its 31days, it has taken in 12,985 g DCP. And in November only 613 g DCP.

DCPI g/month needed. In June, the 1,100-kg adult white rhinoceros needs 15,225 g DCP for maintenance. In July, 15,732 g DCP.

DCP deficit g/month. In July, the first dry month in Tsavo East in 1970-71 (in this model), the 1,100-kg rhinoceros has taken in 2,747 g DCP too little. In August it has gotten 7105 g DCP too little. And in November it has taken in 14,612 g DCP too little. After these 5 continuously dry months, at the end of November, the 1,100 kg adult white rhinoceros has taken in 48,343 g DCP too little, below its level of maintenance. In other words: Its DCP-intake-deficit has reached then 48,343 g DCP (dry wt). That is 4.39% of its body weight. The animal is starving now to death with a full stomach, due to lack of digestible crude protein.

The microflora in its intestines is not able anymore, to break down the plant particles, high in fiber and low in protein. It is not able anymore, to live on this food. The microflora in the plant-eater’s digestive tract does itself live on the protein and energy, contained in the food, its host has eaten. And the large plant-eater, in turn, is digesting then the microflora, rich in protein and energy. During the long dry season (in the tropics) and during the long, dry winter in the Far North, the above-ground plants of the plants of the grasslands are then so leached out that they are not food anymore. They do contain then too much fiber and too little protein. Thus, hundreds of black elephants and thousands of elephants have starved to death during the great drought of Tsavo East in 1970-71 with a full stomach. The food in their stomach contained then only 2% crude protein (dry wt) or more.

1,100-kg adult White Rhinoceros: DCP Deficit and Death

In this model, the 1,100-kg adult white rhinoceros is taking the place of the black rhinoceros in the great drought of Tsavo East N. Park, Kenya, in 1970-71. In June, the last normal month before the great drought, the rhino’s food contains 13.5% crude protein (dry wt). And it is taking in 2.657 g DCP/kg^0.75 day. It is still at maintenance. In the middle of November, the food contains only 2.6% CP. And the rhino is able to take in from it then only 0.107 g DCP/kg^0.75 day.

That is 25 times below its maintenance intake. At the end of November, the food contains only 2.0% CP. The rhino is not able now to digest the dry, brown food anymore. It has reached its critical DCP-intake-deficit of 48 343 g DCP or 4.395% of its body weight. It is starving to death with a full stomach. This will help us later on, to find out, how long the woolly rhinoceros would be able to live in the Far North in the arctic winter.

1,500 kg Adult White Rhinoceros

The 1,500 kg adult white rhinoceros has a DCP-intake-deficit at the end of the fifth day month (at the end of November) of 61,005 g DCP. Its DCP-intake-deficit has reached then 4.067% of its body weight. It starves to death with a full stomach.

1,100-kg adult White Rhinoceros: ME Deficit and Death

Table explained

I do assume there that the white rhinoceros is living in Tsavo East during the great drought of 1970-71, instead of the black rhinoceros. When would this large grazer then have starved to death at the end of 5 dry months in a row, at the end of November? At which intake-deficit of metabolizable energy would it have starved with a full stomach? What does this table show us?

Month. In this model, June is the last wet month in Tsavo East. The next 5 months (July-November) are dry.

%CP dry wt. The adult white rhino’s food in June contains still 13.5% crude protein (dry wt). The food’s protein content and its digestibility are closely correlated. The more protein and the less fiber the food contains, the easier the microflora in its digestive tract it is able to digest it. And the more of this food the animal will be able to metabolize (change into other substances). And the less protein and the more fiber the food contains, when it is dry, brown and dead, the harder it will be for the microflora in the rhino’s digestive tract to break it down and digest it. In June, with its 13.5% CP-food, the rhino is still able to maintain its body weight. In July, the first dry month, the food contains only 7.5% CP. And in the middle of November, 2.6%CP.

ME kcal kg^0.75 day. In June, the white rhinoceros is still at maintenance. It is taking in 129 kcal ME/kg^0.75 day. In July, the first dry month in Tsavo East (in this model), it is getting only 106 kcal ME/kg^0.75 day. In the middle of November, it is taking in 5 kcal ME/kg^0.75 day. And at the end of November nothing.

MEI kcal day. In June, the last wet month, the 1,100 kg adult white rhinoceros is taking in 24,639 kcal ME per day. In July, 20,246 kcal ME, and in November only 955 kcal ME/day.

MEI kcal month. In June, the 1,100 kg adult rhino is taking in 739,189 kcal ME. That is just as much as it needs, to maintain its body weight. In July it is getting 627,642 kcal ME. And in November only 28,615 kcal ME.

ME kcal month needed. In July (with its 30 days), the 1,100-kg adult white rhino needs 739,189 kcal ME. And in July (with its 31 days) 763,829 kcal ME.

ME deficit kcal month. In July, the 1,100 kg adult white rhino has taken in 136,187 kcal ME too little. It is losing condition, is slowly starving to death. In August it has gotten 343 427 kcal ME too little. And in November, 710,538 kcal ME too little. At the end of November, after 5 dry months in a row, the 1100 kg adult white rhino has reached an intake-deficit of metabolizable energy of 2,351,653 kcal ME. The food in the cranial stomach of black rhinos, shot in Kenya, contained 4.34 kcal/g (Clemens, E.T. and G.M.O. Maloiy, 1983:150).

This means. The adult 1,100 adult white rhino would have starved to death during the great drought of Tsavo East in 1970-71, after these 5 dry months, when its intake deficit had reached 2,351,653 kcal ME : 4.34 kcal/g = 541.855 kg ME intake-deficit. That is 49.259% of its body weight.

1,100-kg adult White Rhinoceros: ME Deficit and Death

This means: The 1,100 kg adult white rhinoceros will starve to death at the end of 5 dry months in Tsavo East N. Park, Kenya, when its has reached its critical intake-deficit of metabolizable energy of 2,351,653 kcal ME. The black rhino’s food in Kenya contains 4.34 kcal/g. 2,351,653 kcal ME : 4.34 kcal/g = 541.855 kg ME intake deficit and death. The rhino will starve to death with a full stomach, when its ME intake-deficit has reached 49.259% of its body weight. This will help us later on, to find out, how long the woolly rhinoceros could have lived in northern Siberia, if it had tried to live up there during the arctic winter.

1,500-kg adult White Rhinoceros: ME Deficit and Death

The 1,500-kg adult white rhinoceros reaches its deadly intake-deficit of metabolizable energy at the end of the 5^th dry month, of November. That is 2,967,542 kcal ME or 683.765 kg ME or 45.584% of its body weight. Then this large grazing animal will starve to death with a full stomach, due to lack of metabolizable energy.

Woolly rhinoceros. From: E. Probst, Deutschland in der Urzeit (1986). It had a shoulder height of about 1.6 m, and weighed 1100-1500 kg. It was mainly a grazer, just like the living African white rhinoceros. It was at home in Eurasia, up to the shores of the Arctic Sea. The nutritional needs of the white rhinoceros and the black rhinoceros are very similar to those of the elephant. The black rhinoceros in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya, East Africa, during the great drought of 1970-71, was starving to death with a full stomach – just like the elephant. Only about 200 g/m² aboveground dry matter had grown there per year. And the food contained then only 2 percent crude protein (dry weight) or more. The micro-flora in its digestive tract was not able then anymore, to digest this food, rich in fiber and poor in protein.

The woolly rhinoceros was not able to live on arctic tundra, tundra-steppe, and polar desert, just like the reindeer and the muskox of today. There is too little food. The growing season of the plants up there is too short, and their dormant season too long. The woolly rhinoceros would have pitifully starved to death in an arctic climate within a few months, weeks, or days, due to lack of metabolizable energy and digestible crude protein. The woolly rhinoceros has lived in North Siberia, together with the woolly mammoth, before the global Flood of Noah’s days, in a mild, temperate climate. The woolly rhinoceros, whose body the frozen ground has preserved, the global Flood has killed in 2370 B.C.E., according to Bible chronology, and has also buried it.