Reproduction in Domestic Animals - Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias

16 t h International Congress on Animal Reproduction
Poster Abstracts 133
of 90 days, both behavioral and reproductive data were
simultaneously collected. Agonistic encounters were recorded and a
social dominance index was assigned to each female per group.
Sexual cyclicity of females was determined through the study of fecal
progesterone and vaginal cytology features every 3 days. Weight and
age of all females were also recorded.
Results and discussion Cycling females presented heavier body
weight than non-cycling females and showed an average estrous cycle
length of 28.63 ± 3.55 days (range: 22 to 33 days). Dominant females
were more likely to show regular cyclicity, compared with
subordinate females. All experimental groups presented at least a
cycling, and a non-cycling female. All dominant females were
cycling, and all but one subordinate female were non-cycling. This
study suggests that there exist a strong hierarchical structure in groups
of collared peccary females that largely affects their reproductive
function. In captive breeding systems, stress is an important cause of
impaired reproductive and maternal performance, throughout
mechanisms acting on the hypothalamic, pituitary, ovarian and uterine
function. This study pretends to provide information useful to develop
new management strategies that minimize any detrimental behavioral
and physiological consequences of breeding collared peccaries in
groups. The dominance index could act as a limiting factor over the
reproductive functionality of the collared peccary.
P319
Genome resource bank in Moscow Zoo
Maksudov, G 1 *, Shishova, NV 2
1Scientific department, Moscow Zoo, Russian Federation, 2 Genom
Conservation Laboratory, Institution on Cell Biophysic, Russian Acad. Sci.
Introduction In Russia, where natural resources are used intensively,
creation of cryobanks is the chance to save many species from
extinction. Considering that rare species generally have low number
and collection of germ plasm in situ is questionable, zoos are the
important source of germ plasm for banking. A practical
implementation of this idea is often troublesome. Reproductive data
exist only for a few species. They differ from their domestic
counterparts, which makes the direct transfer of cryopreservation
techniques a real challenge. Moscow "Frozen zoo" program includes
three main directions: vital semen collection; post mortal testes;
investigation of rare species semen parameters.
Materials and methods Semen was collected by electroejaculation
(Pulsator-IV, Lane Mfg) with self made probes (mammals), or by
massage techniques (birds). The post-mortem testes were excised
from dead males and stored at 4°С. Then spermatozoa were recovered
from the cauda epididymis, accessed and frozen. Semen assessment
was both standard and with sperm analyzer (SFA-500 Biola Ltd).
Pellet and straw methods, different extenders were used for freezing.
Glycerol for mammals, DMSO and DMF for cranes spermatozoa
were used as cryoprotectants
Results List of cryopreserved specimens now includes: 47 samples
from six males of Siberian crane Grus leucogeranus; 3 samples from
two white-naped cranes Grus vipio; one semen sample of Japanese
crane G. japonensis and one from sandhill crane G. canadiensis. 8
samples from four Amur leopard males Panthera pardus orientalis;
one sample from Amur tiger Panthera tigris altaica; 3 samples from
three males of Spectacled bear Tremarctos ornatus, two
electroejaculated and one post mortal sample; postmortal sample from
one markhor Capra falconeri male 2 post mortal samples from two
males of white-tailed gnu Connochaetes gnou; post mortal sample
from one East Caucasian tur Capra cylindricornis; 2 samples from
European mink Mustela lutreola and 4 samples from American mink
M. vison. Also we store goat and donkey semen samples. Some
samples from different species were thawed and investigated.
Conclusions Genome resource bank is important tool to save genetic
material of rare species in zoos, but further applications of
cryopreservation techniques are urgently needed. We collaborate with
EEP, IZW, Oka Crane Center and supported RFBR, grant N. 06-04-
49268.
P320
Deslorelin affects reproduction and behaviour of female
western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus
ocydromus)
Mayberry, C
School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Australia
The control of wild animal populations by shooting is becoming less
socially acceptable, creating a requirement for more imaginative
means of limiting population growth. A promising approach uses
depot formulations of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH)
agonists. We are investigating the use of Suprelorin®, a depot
formulation of the GnRH super-agonist deslorelin, to suppress
reproduction as part of an Australia-wide project, the Koala and
Kangaroo Contraception Program. Two types of GnRH are found in
most mammals. GnRH-I drives the production and release of
pituitary gonadotrophins. GnRH-II affects sexual, feeding and
possibly other, behaviours. In mice and musk shrew exogenous
GnRH-II causes females to eat less when feed is abundant and to
restore sexual behaviour that has been suppressed by feed restriction.
In November/December 2006 on a reserve in the southwest of
Western Australia, we treated 24 free-ranging female western grey
kangaroos with 4.7 (n = 8) or 9.4 (n = 7) mg of deslorelin, or a
placebo (n = 9). Eleven of the kangaroos were either already pregnant
or conceived to give birth between November 2006 and February
2007. None of the kangaroos treated with deslorelin conceived more
than 15 days after treatment. Four kangaroos, one each from the
placebo and 4.7 mg groups, and two from the 9.4 mg group,
disappeared or died from unrelated causes. We monitored the morning
attendance of the remaining kangaroos at a feeding station from
March to October 2007. All 12 deslorelin-treated kangaroos attended
regularly at the feeding station. Six of the 8 placebo kangaroos
attended at the feeding station only intermittently after July.
Attendance at the feeding station was independent of pouch young.
Eight of the 12 deslorelin-treated animals had no pouch young and
two more lost their pouch young by May. Three of the eight placebo
animals had no pouch young and another lost her pouch young by
May. The six kangaroos that had pouch young all year and the three
kangaroos that lost their pouch young between February and May
2007 did not use the feeding station regularly after July. Although
favourable weather conditions in 2007 resulted in abundant natural
feed supplies on this reserve and placebo treated kangaroos decreased
their use of the feeding station, the deslorelin-treated kangaroos
maintained their use of the station. These results suggest that long
acting formulations of deslorelin may affect feeding behaviour in
female western grey kangaroos.
P321
Development of regular individual faecal sample
collections from group housed African wild dogs (Lycaon
Pictus) in a European Zoo setting: evidence of oestrus
without male presence
Paris, M 1,2 *; Schwarzenberger, F 3 ; Thomas, R 4 ; Jabbour, H 1,5 ; Farstad, W 6 ,
Millar, R 1,5
1Institute for Breeding Rare and Endangered African Mammals (IBREAM),
Edinburgh, UK; 2 Dept. of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Utrecht, The Netherlands; 3 Dept. of Natural Sciences –
Biochemistry, Vet. Med., Austria; 4 Royal Zoological Society of Scotland,
Edinburgh Zoo, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 5 MRC Human Reproductive
Sciences Unit, United Kingdom; 6 Dept. of Reproduction and Forensic
Medicine, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Norway
The African wild dog (Lycaon Pictus) is a group-living carnivore, and
they hunt and reproduce in a cooperative manner. European Zoos
generally attempt to imitate the natural situation as closely as possible
by group housing and carcass feeding. This makes collection of
regular individual faecal sampling for endocrine monitoring a
challenge. This study describes the development of a reliable food
marking technique to enable frequent individually identifiable faecal
collections. Three UK based zoological institutions participated in this