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Endanger Animal
Endanger Animal
Endanger Animal
W
hen it comes to reproduction, many of
the world’s endangered animals are not
unlike infertile couples struggling to con-
ceive. Before the problem of achieving
conception and full-term delivery can be solved, under-
lying fertility issues need to be studied and assessed.
Animal research parallels many of the same processes
used while investigating human infertility issues, such
as genetic diversity, sperm characteristics, estrogen
surges, using fresh or frozen sperm, and even diet and
mood swings in these animals. The case studies pre-
sented in this article describe how genetic management
and assisted reproductive technology (ART) have been
instrumental in helping scientists address reproductive
problems in several endangered animals—Florida pan-
thers, giant pandas, black-footed ferrets, ocelots, and
clouded leopards.
©2009 Carl Menz
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This success gave us the confidence to to successfully treat ocelots (many wild born
start detailed studies on the black-footed and, thus, extremely valuable genetically)
ferret, which included breeding animals with hormones to allow laparoscopic aspi-
naturally and conducting basic research ration of oocytes followed by successful IVF
studies. The end result of more than 20 years and embryo freezing. Following the initial
of work that involved the help of many zoos, studies in 2000, frozen embryos were thawed
state and federal agencies is more than 6100 in 2007, transferred to ocelot recipients and,
descendants from the original 18 ferrets. At to date, have resulted in 3 pregnancies and 3
the Conservation & Research Center, our living offspring (from 24 total embryos trans-
work has resulted in more than 500 black- ferred to 8 surrogates). Although such per-
footed ferrets, including 135 ferrets by AI, centages may be considered comparatively
mostly with fresh sperm but also with fro- low by human IVF/transfer standards, this
zen/thawed spermatozoa. Due to sexual is one of the first examples of consistency in
incompatibility problems, these 135 ferrets the wildlife world, demonstrating the poten-
would never have been born without AI. tial of the technology after persistence in
Today, there are more than 1000 free-living documenting the basic reproductive biology
black-footed ferrets in 8 states in the Ameri- of the target species.
can West and Mexico.
Sperm sexing
The ocelot: Embryo technologies Although not routinely used in man-
Despite the success of IVF and embryo aging wildlife species, there is enormous
transfer in humans and livestock species, no potential in developing sperm sexing to be
wildlife species is currently being genetically used largely with AI. Unbalanced sex ratios
KeY Point managed using such technology. However, are common in captive animal collections.
these methods have produced some signifi- For example, 70% of all calves produced by
ART is not always cant births, often “one-time wonders,” that, 2 rhinoceros species in North American zoos
while attracting substantial media attention are males.6 This places unusual stress on
needed to enhance have not translated into practical application. space resources and forces the management
reproduction. The challenges associated with using of many large, singleton males.
Often, it is simply embryo transfer and IVF relate largely to
the lack of data on embryology in virtually
The potential of sorting sperm (Figure) on
the basis of DNA content in X-bearing sperm
a matter of all wildlife species as well as logistical issues compared with Y-bearing sperm deserves
changing related to finding an appropriate surrogate. significant attention in addressing this issue.
Zoos do not have sufficient space to maintain The most progress has been reported by Jus-
environmental large numbers of potential embryo recipients. tine O’Brien and Todd Robeck of SeaWorld
factors. And not only is interspecies embryo transfer Incorporated, who have used flow cytometry
poorly effective, but there is the concern that, to produce a preponderance of X-bearing
for example, a tiger cub produced in a lion, or sperm and, thus, higher ratios of calves in
an addax calf born to a scimitar-horned oryx various marine mammals, including artifi-
would be behaviorally confused. cially inseminated killer whales.
Despite the complexities of adapting
embryo technologies to wildlife, I am encour-
aged by studies being done with ocelots at The clouded leopard: Environmental
the Center for Conservation and Research influences on reproductive success
of Endangered Animals at the Cincinnati Finally, it is important to realize that
Zoo and Botanical Garden by Dr William not all enhancement of reproduction needs
Swanson. His group is collaborating with to occur as a result of ART. In many cases, it
colleagues in Brazil to use IVF to genetically is simply a matter of changing environmen-
manage this species with the eventual goal tal factors that also are well known to affect
of allowing international transport of ocelot human and livestock reproductive efficiency.
diploid genetic material.5 Extensive basic A prime example has been our interest in
studies in Brazil have resulted in substantial the conservation and genetic management
new information on the basic biology of this of the clouded leopard, a mid-sized cat
species. That, in turn, resulted in the ability species indigenous to southeastern Asia.
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