A world first for SA: Lion cubs born through artificial insemination

[Richprins]

A world first for SA: Lion cubs born through artificial insemination

Monday 3 September 2018 - 9:30am
A lioness at the Ukutula Conservation Center and Biobank in South Africa's North West province has given birth to two cubs conceived via non-surgical artificial insemination, using fresh semen from an adult male lion at the same facility, in a world first achievement, the University of Pretoria (UP) has said.

A lioness at the Ukutula Conservation Center and Biobank in South Africa's North West province has given birth to two cubs conceived via non-surgical artificial insemination, using fresh semen from an adult male lion at the same facility, in a world first achievement, the University of Pretoria (UP) has said.
ANA

JOHANNESBURG - A lioness at the Ukutula Conservation Center and Biobank in South Africa's North West province has given birth to two cubs conceived via non-surgical artificial insemination, using fresh semen from an adult male lion at the same facility, in a world first achievement, the University of Pretoria (UP) has said.

The UP said the birth resulted from a research study by a team of scientists from the university on the reproductive physiology of the female African lion and the development of artificial insemination (AI) protocols for this species, which could be used as a baseline for other endangered large wild felids.

Although African lions normally breed well in captivity, the wild population is highly fragmented and suffers progressively from isolation and inbreeding.

Indiscriminate killing, habitat loss and prey depletion, epidemic diseases, poaching and trophy hunting threaten the extinction of these existing wild populations.

The African lion population is estimated to have decreased from 1.2 million individuals in 1800 to about 25,000 in 2016, and 18,000 in 2018, a reduction of more than 98 percent over 220 years and more than 60 percent in the last 25 years.

The African lion is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species, with the West African lion subpopulation considered critically endangered.

The research team now has novel data for the African lion’s reproduction physiology, said Dr Isabel Callealta, a qualified veterinarian from Spain and PhD candidate at UP.

"This, together with the success of the AI births of the lion cubs, not only celebrate a world first achievement, but has laid the foundation for effective non-surgical AI protocols for this species, using both fresh and frozen-thawed sperm," she said.

The researchers said the application of these new techniques could provide a faster and broader diversification and distribution of the genetics, and a reduction of disease transmission, as well as independence from animal’s translocation for breeding purposes.

https://www.enca.com/life/world-first-s ... semination

[PennyinSA]

Never use emojis but this makes my blood boil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Richprins]

Why, Penny?

[stefan9]

Why? Is a great advanced. I hope they can use it for rhinos.

[Lisbeth]

Do test tube lions help conserve wild lions?

BY LOUISE DE WAAL - 3 OCTOBER 2018 - IAFRICA

Lion experts dispute conservation value of test tube lions questioning whether this merely supports lion breeders’ claims that they contribute to the conservation of lions.

“World’s first test tube lion raising hopes to save big cats from extinction” and “IVF success for the King of the Jungle” read headlines, when in late August two lion cubs were born through artificial insemination (AI) under the auspices of the University of Pretoria (UP) at the Ukutula Conservation Centre (ICC), which still allows cub petting.

However, a group of 19 of the world’s leading lion conservation and research organisations dispute these claims in a letter to UP saying “…we do not support the captive breeding of lions, whether assisted or not, because it does not contribute to biodiversity conservation or address the main threats to wild lion conservation”.

The UP study states that their research efforts into the assisted reproduction of lions “opens new opportunities to improve breeding of captive and free ranging lion populations, and thereby assisting conservation efforts on this species”.

“The lack of ability to breed is not a recognized conservation threat to the wild lion. In fact, managers of reintroduced lion populations in small reserves in South Africa are challenged by high rates of population increase and how best to control them, often resorting to contraceptive methods”, the letter continues

Even in captivity, lions reproduce relatively easily, as our massive captive population of 8,000+ lions is testament to.

“Therefore, the breeding of lions is not in question or of concern, and AI is not a prime conservation requirement for the species”, the letter claims.

None of the IUCN recognised major conservation threats to wild lion populations, i.e. habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, prey depletion, use of lion bones and body parts for traditional medicine, and trophy hunting, are addressed in the UP study.

UP research was undertaken in cooperation with UCC, part of the Ukutula group. The Ukutula facility houses at least 15 white and tawny lions producing 4-12 cubs per year, 20 cheetahs, and various other predators.

Through this project UP links itself with an organisation that still facilitates dozens of international volunteers to act as surrogate mothers for “orphaned” lion cubs and to clean enclosures. Jobs that South Africa can ill-afford to give to unskilled and untrained youngsters from overseas, who pay Ukutula for the privilege (around ZAR 22,000 for the first 2 weeks and ZAR 9,000 per additional week).

Ross Harvey (South African Institute of International Affairs) states in his report on the “Economics of Captive Predator Breeding in South Africa” that as many as 84 full time jobs are currently undertaken by volunteers in the industry that would otherwise be available to local job-seekers.

Utukulu still offers cub petting and lion walks to paying visitors. Lions that become redundant at an age of 2-3 years old, as they become too dangerous, and are sold to other captive facilities or zoos.

“Links between captive lion breeding facilities, their associated spin-off industries, including cub-petting and lions walks, canned trophy hunting and the lion bone trade, are well documented”, the letter states.

The group of concerned conservation and animal welfare organisations asked UP and the Mammal Research Institute to:

1. Publicly distance itself from captive lion breeding facilities;

2. Review its Ethic’s Approval for this study as the artificial insemination cubs will remain at the facility and may be subjected to the same exploitative cycles outlined herein;

3. Stop all research in the artificial insemination of lions, as this does not benefit the conservation of wild lions.

The group includes the IUCN African Lion Working Group, Blood Lions, Panthera, and Wildlands Conservation Trust, as well as representatives from animal welfare and protection groups, including Born Free Foundation, Four Paws, and Humane Society International.

So far, they have received no response from UP.

[Flutterby]

It's a notable achievement that cubs have been born through AI, but if they are to be kept for captive lion breeding then there really is no point!

[Richprins]

Ja, I suppose it could help with inbreeding in the future, but far simpler to introduce a couple of new males into an area?

[Lisbeth]

Lions are not like some animals that only have one offspring at a time and often only one every two years or more.

[Richprins]

they breed like rats!

[Lisbeth]

Almost