To me it demonstrates that the captive wolves were being fed the wrong diet for all of them. The adults, however, being stronger, survived it better - just as happens with humans in famines.

Maybe, but as I said, I am also basing my opinion on a thousand avidly watched nature programmes :)

I have friends from my college days who have been involved with studies into wolves & wild dogs for over 30 years(yes I am that old)I was talking to one via the net about captive packs & they dispair of the diet they are fed. They should be given whole carcases of not just larger prey, but smaller prey like rabbits, hares etc as in lean times(ie winter etc)wolves will hunt anything large or small & often smaller prey found close to the dens are brought back whole for the cubs to learn about the feel of fur etc & tug of war games are part of learning hunting. Large prey like deer aren't always available & of course wolves don't eat everyday-the safari parks are fed far more frequently than real wild wolves. Lots of extras in the whole carcase complete with innards ;)

I can remember one of them telling me he wondered where the wolves in the wild butcher was if safari parks believe they are feeding a healthy diet by giving them skinned meat. He thought it was mainly so the public didn't see the wolves, tigers, lions etc munching on fur covered haunch or even worse the head of a deer or similar ! Raw meat was ok !

I don't really remember about the Longleat one, too busy looking at Ben :) although I seem to remember their food was supplimented but I certainly know that the Highland Wildlife Park Pack are fed on whole animals because I have been there many times in person. 

I had been looking for these treats my dogs loved for ages,but couldnt find them anywhere.I finally found a place that had them and bought a few packs.Half way home i realised i hadnt checked the BBD before buying,which i usually do,i looked and they only had a couple of weeks left,i turned the car straight around drove aaall the way back to the shop and got a refund,these treats would have lasted me months, i wasnt going to feed my dogs stuff months after the recommended use by date had finished,plus i was irked that they charged me full price for old stock!
This is the reason i buy small sacks of food,so they are only opened for a 3 to 4 weeks,and are used way before the use by date.
My dogs also drink bottled water I started it due to one of my dogs tear stains and they disapeared,so i dread to think what it was in the tap water that was causing it??

>plus i was irked that they charged me full price for old stock!

From what you say it wasn't old stock - it was still 2 weeks within date. :)

don't think i have ever looked at bestbefore dates on pets food.
hardly ever look at them anyway :)

The shop lady agreed it was old stock,they had only just recieved the delivery,so the manufacture sent them old stock,it should have had at least 9-12mths left,not  2 weeks If something in a shop only has a couple of weeks use by left you can bet its been sitting around for a while :(

Changed over to EUKANUBA. Within less than 2 days all 11 pups were totally clear of the runs.