Western Plains Zoo- Black Rhino » Western Plains Zoo

Western Plains Zoo- Black Rhino
11-10-2006

Zoo begins IVF treatment for Black Rhino
Tuesday Oct 10 21:18 AEST
An Australian zoo has performed a world-first by successfully harvesting eggs from an endangered black rhinoceros for IVF treatment.

Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, together with the Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, carried out the procedure in an attempt to preserve the genetic potential of an infertile black rhino named Musinapongo, affectionately know as Musi.

She is one of only 250 of the endangered African animals in captivity.

Western Plains Zoo's senior veterinarian Benn Bryant said the use of sophisticated reproductive technologies like IVF had taken the zoo's breeding program to a new level.




"This is a real breakthrough," said Bryant.

"It's the first time oocytes or eggs have been collected from a live rhinoceros.

"We were faced with a significant challenge in accessing the oocytes, as rhinoceros anatomy is very tricky to navigate and also quite large.

"Fortunately our different approach worked."

Artificial insemination and IVF, which have long been used to overcome fertility problems in humans and domestic animals, have only been attempted with the black rhinoceros since 2004.

The doctors from Berlin who performed the procedure - Thomas Hildebrant, Frank Goritz and Robert Hermes - had failed in two attempts at artificial insemination before trying IVF.

"We feel this team is the best team in the world to work with," said Dr Hildebrant, whose team was assisted by specialists in equine IVF.

"Over the last three years we have made significant developments in our understanding of rhinoceros reproduction.

"The results we have achieved here can be applied to all species of rhinoceros, including the critically endangered northern white rhinoceros."

15-02-2008

Black rhinos Bakhita (Dubbo born female) and Kwanzaa were slowly being introduced to another through the fence by rhino management at Dubbo. Source: local newspaper.

Do any of you Ozzies know what other black rhinos are currently in breeding mode or are there already any pregnancies you might know of?