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| Simba the Rhino to be a father after ground breaking artificial insemination procedure! - 08-Oct-07 |
8th October 2007
For Immediate Release
Simba the Rhino to be a father after ground breaking artificial insemination procedure!
At the grand old age of 38, Simba, Colchester Zoo’s male White Rhino is due to become a father after formerly frozen sperm was used for the first time ever in a successful artificial insemination in rhino.
Scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin have successfully inseminated formerly frozen sperm from Simba into a female rhino called Lulu at Budapest Zoo. Lulu’s baby is now due in November 2008. This will be her second baby, the first one, also being conceived by artificial insemination using fresh sperm from a male rhino that living with Lulu in Budapest.
This is actually the first time in the world that previously frozen rhino sperm has been successfully artificially inseminated and has far-reaching implications for conservation. “Now we can take sperm from free living rhinos and freeze it“, says Dr. Thomas Hildebrandt, scientist at the IZW. “Then we will be able to use it in zoos all over the world. “The sperm Hildebrandt and his colleagues had used was stored for three years in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius with a newly developed deep-freezing technology which is especially suitable for wildlife sperm
In June, the IZW scientists thawed the sperm and placed the re-vitalized cells deep into the uterus of Lulu in Budapest using a non-surgical insemination procedure developed by IZW. The international conservation project was carried out in close co-operation with the Veterinary University of Vienna which conducted an analysis of Lulu’s hormonal status revealing signs of a pregnancy. Dr. Robert Hermes from IZW carried out an ultrasonography examination and confirmed that Lulu is four months pregnant. He says, “This result is enormously important for the conservation of rhinos. Particularly the Northern White Rhino could benefit as there are only 3 (three) individuals left in the wild and 8 individuals in zoos all over the world. This new procedure means that we can take sperm from free-ranging animals and deep-freeze the cells. Thus, we would be able to use sperm from rhinos even after they are killed by poachers for instance.”
In the next few weeks, the scientists attention will be turned to Colchester Zoo’s two younger female rhinos in the hope that they two can be artificially inseminated, after natural conceptions with Simba have not proved successful.
ENDS
For further information contact Alex Downing, Business Development Director on 01206 331292 ext 226.
Colchester Zoo is a member of BIAZA. BIAZA is the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. They are the professional body representing the best zoos and aquariums in Britain and Ireland. Member Collections pride themselves on their excellent animal welfare, education and conservation work. BIAZA supports them in their work and helps promote the work of good zoos and aquariums.
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