High serum concentrations of iron, transferrin saturation and gamma glutamyl transferase in captive black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis )

Iron storage disease (haemochromatosis) is thought to be the cause of many disorders unique to captive black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis). To establish reliable reference ranges for iron parameters, serum samples from 27 eastern black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis michaeli) from a translocation programme in Kenya were analysed and compared with the samples from 17 captive individuals. The transferrin saturation, serum iron concentration and gamma glutamyl transferase were significantly higher in the captive rhinoceroses, but these elevations were not evident when the results were compared with previously published data.