Zoo Reproductuion

[Zoo_Boy]

for our aussies- 8.30 and sbs, there is a program on zoo reproduction (a.i among otehr things) on endagered species, looks good, and focus' on elephnats

it comes from our favorite germans! yes the A.I guys as affectinattly known in our region, present this program.

08:30 pm The Elephant's Guide to Sex
Dr Hildebrandt possesses one of the world's most extraordinary jobs - getting the planet's endangered animals in the mood for love. The planet's creatures are facing the biggest mass extinction since the dinosaurs were wiped out. Species are currently disappearing at up to 10,000 times the natural rate. Coming to the rescue are men like Dr Hildebrandt and his team. They are world leaders in the art of animal manipulation. The billions of pounds spent benefiting human reproduction are now being applied to save endangered species. Techniques such as artificial insemination and IVF have been crucial to the successes in breeding giant pandas, big cats and other mammals in zoos across the world. Dr Hildebrandt says “Man has created this annihilation of species. It's up to man to use his ingenuity to save them.†(From the UK, in English) (Documentary) M (S) CC WS

will be interesting!

 

[Monty]

I just watched the show. I thought you ment it was last night and I had missed it but it was tonight.

Very interesting and complicated procedures with elephants and rinos. I would have prefered they were learning on a more common species of rino as they did not have much in the way of results and it did look slightly risky for the animals. I thought they were going to break the rinos leg when they were rolling it over while unconsous and the male died two days after semen colection. Either lucky they colected the semen just in time or possable reaction to drugs or handling. They were autopsying it and I did not hear the findings (distracted by children) did they give a cause.

 

[Ara]

Sorry Monty, I missed that bit too.

A very interesting program, however, particularly the segments on the northern white rhino.

A lot of people have the misapprehension that A.I. is easy and run-of-the-mill.
It might be with dairy cows, but with wild animals it's gotta be the last resort.
(Extremely risky; high failure rate and very expensive to do.)

 

[Nigel]

excuse my ignorance , but ......

..... is it true that rhinos are very difficult to anaesthetise but kept alive ?
I have heard that the same anaesthetic needed to knock out an antelope would kill a rhino
That will make the job od AI all the much harder if this is the case .

 

[Monty]

I have never herd that it is difficult. They seem to knock them out regually in Africa to do such things as cut off their horns to deter poachers. Never heard of any dieing while they do it.

 

[Jarkari]

they also tranq a lot of rhino for game auctions in africa and this seems to be popular. I haven't heard of there being that much trouble. but there are always going to be complications when it comes to animals of that size.

 

[taun]

This programmed aired in the UK a while back, it was really interesting. And usefully in certain cases, i.e. large mammals that are always more differcuilt to move but then over natural conception the later would win with me.

 

[Pertinax]

A lot of people have the misapprehension that A.I. is easy and run-of-the-mill.
It might be with dairy cows, but with wild animals it's gotta be the last resort.
(Extremely risky; high failure rate and very expensive to do.)

I'd agree with that. AI is often portrayed as the way forward with 'difficult' or non-breeding animals and the impression is often given that with the right technical know how, its quite simple. But efforts with AI are still largely unsuccessful with many species. Techniques are still by no means perfected and AI is not yet the 'saviour' of wildlife its sometimes projected as.

 

[Rookeyper]

Cincinnati Zoo in the US has done AI with their rhinos and now have a pregnant Indian rhino. They use operant conditioning and are able to do ultrasounds on a very frequent basis with no problems. A friend of mine works with that program and has had some fascinaing stories to tell. It amazes me!

 

[Pertinax]

Yes, Cincinnati are pretty much in the forefront of these developments. However, AI still seems very much a 'hit and miss' affair for most exotic species, and the success rate is still very low...