(CN) First artificially inseminated Giant Panda birth in China

[Guest guest]

Comment on report that a cub recently born at Wolong was the first to result

from frozen sperm

 

 

 

Panda cub not the first …

 

 

 

I am afraid that this story is built on erroneous or misunderstood

information.

 

 

 

The first panda cub born from frozen semen did so in 1980. Since then, the

Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding has regularly produced cubs

from frozen semen: it is used just as much, if not more, than

freshly-collected semen for fertilization of captive pandas via artificial

insemination. I believe that Wolong is no different; we are uncertain how

this story came to be so misdirected.

 

 

 

Please also note that the common statement that pandas ‘have low sex drive’

and ‘have trouble reproducing’ is erroneous in that it is taken completely

out of the context of the natural behavior and reproductive rate for the

species.

 

 

 

In the wild, giant panda females are in estrus once a year and the period of

receptivity for fertilization is believed to last no more than 12-24 hours.

Cubs remain with their mothers for 18 to 24 months, during which time the

mother does not cycle. All told, a female panda living in the wild will

produce perhaps 6 or 7 cubs in a lifetime. In captivity in China, pandas

are asked to produce cubs annually, preferably bearing two cubs each time.

This rate of reproduction requires 1) that the cubs are weaned at the age of

3-5 months so that the female will cycle again the following spring, and 2)

an intensive artificial insemination program is undertaken to make up for

the lack of individuals (male and female) who are able to mate naturally.

 

 

 

The latter is a behavioral issue believed primarily due to inappropriate

socialization that begins with the terribly premature removal of a cub from

its mother, followed by the intensive human handling that cubs undergo when

reared in breeding facilities and the paucity of socialization in a normal

panda social environment due to the isolated lives that these animals live

in captivity.

 

 

 

The physiologic and emotional stress to the female that results from the

intensive artificial insemination program (which often requires that she is

anaesthetized daily or twice daily for several days in a row, sometimes also

placed with a male while she is still recovering from the anaesthetic),

bearing cubs annually and losing them more than a year before she would

normally let them go are entirely unknown and unacknowledged.

 

 

 

Moreover, the captive giant panda population is currently well above 250,

and not 120 as is cited in the article.

 

 

 

The principle objective for captive giant panda breeding is meant to be for

the development a self-sustaining captive population. This means that the

population be of sufficient size and genetic diversity to sustain itself

without input from wild pandas; ultimately this population may serve as a

source for supporting the wild population. Artificial insemination and the

use of frozen sperm are significant factors in progress toward this

objective, as it allows the use of genetic stock from bears that have died

or that are far away: it is much easier to transport frozen semen than a

panda. However, political and cultural factors remain a significant barrier

to the optimal use of genetic material for captive panda breeding, despite

the best efforts of certain Chinese scientists.

 

 

 

With the tremendous success of the birth and survival rates of panda cubs in

recent years and the consequent growth of the captive population (though

genetically still imbalanced), the question now is, What for? An

increasingly popular answer is so that pandas may be introduced into the

wild to support the dwindling wild population. Any of us who have worked

even tangentially with wildlife reintroduction are all too aware of the

complexity, intensive planning and research, high financial costs and

potential risks to the animals themselves of such an undertaking. But even

with all that aside, the most critical factor in wildlife reintroduction is

the commitment from the government and a country’s general population to

restore and then to truly protect the habitat of the species in question.

With China’s principle focus still on economic development, the large rural

human populations that need help in finding alternative means of

livelihoods that do not infringe on wildlife habitats, and the distressing

development of very badly managed ‘ecotourism’ into panda and other wildlife

habitats, we are a very long way from deserving the indulgence of thinking

about giant panda reintroduction.

 

 

 

 

 

Kati Loeffler, DVM, PhD

 

Former research veterinarian with the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park

working at Chengdu Panda Base.

 

 

On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 7:12 PM, <

journalistandanimals wrote:

 

> The photo of the baby is on the website.

> http://news./s/ap/20090724/ap_on_sc/as_china_panda China

> announces

> first panda from frozen sperm

> <

>

http://news./nphotos/southwest-China/photo//090722/481/bf64346220ff4bb1\

b47d1e918f503e68//s:/ap/20090724/ap_on_sc/as_china_panda

> >AP

> – In

> this photo released by the Xinhua news agency, a staff member feeds the

> newly born giant panda cub … *By TINI TRAN, Associated Press Writer Tini

> Tran, Associated Press Writer – 1 min ago*

>

> *BEIJING – China announced the first successful birth of a panda cub

> from artificial

> insemination using frozen sperm, giving a new option for the famously

> unfertile endangered species, officials said Friday.*

>

> *Female panda You You (pronounced Yo Yo) gave birth to the new cub Thursday

> morning at the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in southwestern Sichuan.

> It is You You's third baby, and the 10th panda cub born at Wolong this

> year.

> *

>

> *Just after dawn, the pinkish, hairless cub emerged, and its mother licked

> the baby to clean it, according to footage shown by state broadcaster

> CCTV.*

>

> *Panda researchers said Friday that they believe it's the first successful

> live

> birth worldwide using frozen panda sperm.*

>

> * " We did try before but it failed, " said Huang Yan, a deputy research

> technician with the China Panda Preservation Research Center.*

>

> *The technique has been tried in other countries but this was the first

> known instance of a live birth, he said.*

>

> *The sperm from male panda Lolo had been frozen for " a number of years, "

> said Huang, though he did not give details.*

>

> *Artificial insemination is commonly used for breeding pandas, which have a

> very low sex drive. In 2006, 34 pandas were born through artificial

> insemination in China and 30 survived — both record numbers for the

> endangered species. The technique has also been used at zoos in the United

> States.*

>

> *However, using panda sperm that has been frozen earlier — instead of from

> an immediate donor — had not been successful before.*

>

> *Scientists carried out the artificial insemination in March, and You You

> was found to be pregnant in June during an ultrasound exam, according to a

> notice on the Wolong Center's Web site.*

>

> *The technique, if it can be replicated, will be a positive boost for panda

> conservation efforts, said Matthew Durnin, regional science director in the

> Asia-Pacific and North Asia for The Nature Conservancy, a U.S.-based

> conservation organization.*

>

> * " In the past, they're limited to using semen from a few virile,

> reproductive males. If you're using only one male at a time, you start to

> get lower and lower diversity. This can help with issues of genetic

> diversity among your captive population, " he said.*

>

> *Breeding giant pandas in captivity has proved difficult. Pandas are

> threatened by loss of habitat, poaching and a low reproduction rate.

> Females

> in the wild normally have a cub once every two or three years. The

> fertility

> of captive giant pandas is even lower, experts said.*

>

> *Only about 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in China's southwestern

> Sichuan province, which was hit by an earthquake last year that killed

> nearly 70,000 people. An additional 120 are in Chinese breeding facilities

> and zoos, and about 20 live in zoos outside China.*

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr Loeffler,

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This

story was taken by many major international media groups, including ABC and

BBC (I have saved the links too for reference) and one might be pardoned for

thinking they are reliable sources of news, well, apparently not. I am

however, attaching a larger version of the AP story I posted that ironically

states that there have been Giant Panda births via artificial insemination

whilst claiming the unique nature of this particular birth in the same

article. Since a Chinese government official has been quoted on this, I was

just wondering if this may be a new technique in artificial insemination as

compared to the previous births? Would you be in a position to make some

enquiries regarding this since you have veterinary experience?

I would be more than willing to approach AP, BBC and ABC with your

rejoinder if you are OK with it. Please do let me know what step you would

consider feasible to rectify the alleged mistake. Thank you very much for

pointing this out again, much appreciated.

Regards and best wishes,

 

Sincerely,

 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i8sIuui_hv83cxkVRFbfx2VXz4xQD9\

9L3RNG0

China announces first panda from frozen sperm

 

By TINI TRAN (AP) – 3 days ago

 

BEIJING — For the first time, a giant panda cub has been born in China after

being conceived using frozen sperm, officials announced Friday — an

innovation scientists hope will help the endangered species avoid

extinction.

 

The new cub's birth Thursday means breeders will no longer be forced to rely

on semen from China's few virile males, and may even be able to bring in

sperm from zoos in San Diego, Mexico City or elsewhere.

 

That's key to promoting a healthy panda population because too much

inbreeding can lead to birth defects that would further threaten the

survival of the species.

 

The new cub, born to You You, a female panda at the Wolong Giant Panda

Research Center in southwestern Sichuan, is the tenth born at the breeding

facility this year. It was You You's third successful pregnancy.

 

Just after dawn, the pinkish, hairless cub emerged, and its mother was shown

licking the tiny wiggling creature to clean it on footage broadcast by the

state television channel CCTV.

 

Panda researchers said Friday it was the first successful live birth

worldwide using frozen panda sperm.

 

" We did try before but it failed, " said Huang Yan, a deputy research

technician with the China Panda Preservation Research Center.

 

He declined to provide specifics but said the Wolong team had improved its

thawing techniques, making frozen sperm more viable. Sperm samples are

deep-frozen using liquid nitrogen, and in the past, only 20 to 30 percent of

the sperm survived. But this time the center managed to raise viability to

about 80 percent, he said.

 

Scientists carried out the artificial insemination in March, and You You was

found to be pregnant in June during an ultrasound. The sperm from male panda

Lu Lu had been frozen for " a number of years, " said Huang.

 

The sex of the baby panda is not yet clear, so it hasn't been named, Huang

said.

 

The technique, if it can be replicated, will be a boost for panda

conservation efforts, said Matthew Durnin, regional science director in the

Asia-Pacific and North Asia for The Nature Conservancy, a U.S.-based

conservation organization.

 

" In the past, they're limited to using semen from a few virile, reproductive

males. If you're using only one male at a time, you start to get lower and

lower diversity. This can help with issues of genetic diversity among your

captive population, " he said.

 

Besides preventing inbreeding, genetically diverse panda populations are

generally healthier, meaning they will also have a better chance of thriving

if released in the wild, he said.

 

Dr. Barbara Durrant, a reproductive physiologist at San Diego Zoo, said the

success in China opens the way for frozen semen exchanges between zoos. " The

ideal situation would be to get semen from every male in captivity and

freeze the sperm, " she said.

 

" Exchanging frozen semen between zoos is definitely in the plan, " she added,

noting this means " much less stress for the animals, " than shipping them to

other zoos, often thousands of miles away, to mate.

 

Panda females have only three days a year in which they can conceive — one

reason their species is endangered. Ensuring that the male and female pandas

are interested and able to mate during that short window is a challenge, and

Durrant said some males never succeed at natural breeding.

 

*As a result, artificial insemination has become common practice when

breeding captive pandas. In 2006, 34 pandas were born through artificial

insemination in China and 30 survived — both record numbers for the

endangered species.*

 

*The technique has also been used at zoos in the United States, including at

the San Diego Zoo, where a female panda, Hua Mei, was born in 1999 using

sperm from Shi Shi, a male who was born in the wild in China, said Yadira

Galindo, a spokeswoman for the zoo.*

 

*Durrant said the zoo has frozen sperm from Shi Shi, who died last year, as

well as from its other male, Gao Gao, who was also born in the wild and has

sired four offspring naturally. Frozen sperm from pandas born in the wild is

especially important to promoting genetic diversity, she said.*

 

Pandas are threatened by loss of habitat, poaching and a low reproduction

rate. Females in the wild normally have a cub once every two or three years.

The fertility of captive giant pandas is even lower, experts said.

 

Only about 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in China's southwestern

Sichuan province, which was hit by an earthquake last year that killed

nearly 70,000 people. An additional 120 are in Chinese breeding facilities

and zoos, and about 20 live in zoos outside China.

 

With so few pandas left, " every female is important, every male is

important, " Durrant said. " It behooves us to have semen from as many males

as possible. "

 

" I think that it is a very important achievement that has to be announced,

that has to be celebrated, " said Jose Bernal Stoopen, Mexico City's general

director for zoos and wild life.

 

Mexico City's Chapultepec zoo has bred five cubs by natural means. It has

also frozen the sperm from two pandas, but three attempts to breed cubs

through artificial insemination have so far failed.

 

Jose Bernal Stoopen, Mexico City's general director for zoos and wild life,

said the " ideal is to be able to breed naturally " but artificial

insemination is a great leap forward because it doesn't require shipping

live animals around the world.

 

" We are very glad that they are developing these techniques, not only for

pandas, but for many other species that are in serious danger of

extinction, " he said.

 

*Associated Press Writer Eduardo Castillo in Mexico City, Gillian Flaccus in

San Diego and Mary Sedor in New York contributed to this report.*

 

The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

 

 

On Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 11:58 AM, Kati Loeffler <katiloefflerwrote:

 

> Comment on report that a cub recently born at Wolong was the first to

> result

> from frozen sperm

>

>

>

> Panda cub not the first …

>

>

>

> I am afraid that this story is built on erroneous or misunderstood

> information.

>

>

>

> The first panda cub born from frozen semen did so in 1980. Since then, the

> Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding has regularly produced cubs

> from frozen semen: it is used just as much, if not more, than

> freshly-collected semen for fertilization of captive pandas via artificial

> insemination. I believe that Wolong is no different; we are uncertain how

> this story came to be so misdirected.

>

>

>

> Please also note that the common statement that pandas ‘have low sex drive’

> and ‘have trouble reproducing’ is erroneous in that it is taken completely

> out of the context of the natural behavior and reproductive rate for the

> species.

>

>

>

> In the wild, giant panda females are in estrus once a year and the period

> of

> receptivity for fertilization is believed to last no more than 12-24 hours.

> Cubs remain with their mothers for 18 to 24 months, during which time the

> mother does not cycle. All told, a female panda living in the wild will

> produce perhaps 6 or 7 cubs in a lifetime. In captivity in China, pandas

> are asked to produce cubs annually, preferably bearing two cubs each time.

> This rate of reproduction requires 1) that the cubs are weaned at the age

> of

> 3-5 months so that the female will cycle again the following spring, and 2)

> an intensive artificial insemination program is undertaken to make up for

> the lack of individuals (male and female) who are able to mate naturally.

>

>

>

> The latter is a behavioral issue believed primarily due to inappropriate

> socialization that begins with the terribly premature removal of a cub from

> its mother, followed by the intensive human handling that cubs undergo when

> reared in breeding facilities and the paucity of socialization in a normal

> panda social environment due to the isolated lives that these animals live

> in captivity.

>

>

>

> The physiologic and emotional stress to the female that results from the

> intensive artificial insemination program (which often requires that she is

> anaesthetized daily or twice daily for several days in a row, sometimes

> also

> placed with a male while she is still recovering from the anaesthetic),

> bearing cubs annually and losing them more than a year before she would

> normally let them go are entirely unknown and unacknowledged.

>

>

>

> Moreover, the captive giant panda population is currently well above 250,

> and not 120 as is cited in the article.

>

>

>

> The principle objective for captive giant panda breeding is meant to be for

> the development a self-sustaining captive population. This means that the

> population be of sufficient size and genetic diversity to sustain itself

> without input from wild pandas; ultimately this population may serve as a

> source for supporting the wild population. Artificial insemination and the

> use of frozen sperm are significant factors in progress toward this

> objective, as it allows the use of genetic stock from bears that have died

> or that are far away: it is much easier to transport frozen semen than a

> panda. However, political and cultural factors remain a significant

> barrier

> to the optimal use of genetic material for captive panda breeding, despite

> the best efforts of certain Chinese scientists.

>

>

>

> With the tremendous success of the birth and survival rates of panda cubs

> in

> recent years and the consequent growth of the captive population (though

> genetically still imbalanced), the question now is, What for? An

> increasingly popular answer is so that pandas may be introduced into the

> wild to support the dwindling wild population. Any of us who have worked

> even tangentially with wildlife reintroduction are all too aware of the

> complexity, intensive planning and research, high financial costs and

> potential risks to the animals themselves of such an undertaking. But even

> with all that aside, the most critical factor in wildlife reintroduction is

> the commitment from the government and a country’s general population to

> restore and then to truly protect the habitat of the species in question.

> With China’s principle focus still on economic development, the large rural

> human populations that need help in finding alternative means of

> livelihoods that do not infringe on wildlife habitats, and the distressing

> development of very badly managed ‘ecotourism’ into panda and other

> wildlife

> habitats, we are a very long way from deserving the indulgence of thinking

> about giant panda reintroduction.

>

>

>

>

>

> Kati Loeffler, DVM, PhD

>

> Former research veterinarian with the Smithsonian’s National Zoological

> Park

> working at Chengdu Panda Base.

>

>

> On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 7:12 PM, <

> journalistandanimals wrote:

>

> > The photo of the baby is on the website.

> > http://news./s/ap/20090724/ap_on_sc/as_china_panda China

> > announces

> > first panda from frozen sperm

> > <

> >

>

http://news./nphotos/southwest-China/photo//090722/481/bf64346220ff4bb1\

b47d1e918f503e68//s:/ap/20090724/ap_on_sc/as_china_panda

> > >AP

> > – In

> > this photo released by the Xinhua news agency, a staff member feeds the

> > newly born giant panda cub … *By TINI TRAN, Associated Press Writer Tini

> > Tran, Associated Press Writer – 1 min ago*

> >

> > *BEIJING – China announced the first successful birth of a panda cub

> > from artificial

> > insemination using frozen sperm, giving a new option for the famously

> > unfertile endangered species, officials said Friday.*

> >

> > *Female panda You You (pronounced Yo Yo) gave birth to the new cub

> Thursday

> > morning at the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in southwestern

> Sichuan.

> > It is You You's third baby, and the 10th panda cub born at Wolong this

> > year.

> > *

> >

> > *Just after dawn, the pinkish, hairless cub emerged, and its mother

> licked

> > the baby to clean it, according to footage shown by state broadcaster

> > CCTV.*

> >

> > *Panda researchers said Friday that they believe it's the first

> successful

> > live

> > birth worldwide using frozen panda sperm.*

> >

> > * " We did try before but it failed, " said Huang Yan, a deputy research

> > technician with the China Panda Preservation Research Center.*

> >

> > *The technique has been tried in other countries but this was the first

> > known instance of a live birth, he said.*

> >

> > *The sperm from male panda Lolo had been frozen for " a number of years, "

> > said Huang, though he did not give details.*

> >

> > *Artificial insemination is commonly used for breeding pandas, which have

> a

> > very low sex drive. In 2006, 34 pandas were born through artificial

> > insemination in China and 30 survived — both record numbers for the

> > endangered species. The technique has also been used at zoos in the

> United

> > States.*

> >

> > *However, using panda sperm that has been frozen earlier — instead of

> from

> > an immediate donor — had not been successful before.*

> >

> > *Scientists carried out the artificial insemination in March, and You You

> > was found to be pregnant in June during an ultrasound exam, according to

> a

> > notice on the Wolong Center's Web site.*

> >

> > *The technique, if it can be replicated, will be a positive boost for

> panda

> > conservation efforts, said Matthew Durnin, regional science director in

> the

> > Asia-Pacific and North Asia for The Nature Conservancy, a U.S.-based

> > conservation organization.*

> >

> > * " In the past, they're limited to using semen from a few virile,

> > reproductive males. If you're using only one male at a time, you start to

> > get lower and lower diversity. This can help with issues of genetic

> > diversity among your captive population, " he said.*

> >

> > *Breeding giant pandas in captivity has proved difficult. Pandas are

> > threatened by loss of habitat, poaching and a low reproduction rate.

> > Females

> > in the wild normally have a cub once every two or three years. The

> > fertility

> > of captive giant pandas is even lower, experts said.*

> >

> > *Only about 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in China's southwestern

> > Sichuan province, which was hit by an earthquake last year that killed

> > nearly 70,000 people. An additional 120 are in Chinese breeding

> facilities

> > and zoos, and about 20 live in zoos outside China.*

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Artificial insemination (AI) is always done using either freshly collected

semen or frozen- thawed sperm. I do not have access to Wolong's people to

ask just what they did this time that makes them say that it was so unique,

but in any case it was certainly not the use of stored sperm.

 

The technique for AI is relatively simple, doesn't allow for much variation

or novelty of technique. A straw of semen is simply threaded through the

vagina and ideally also through the cervix and the contents injected into

the body of the uterus (or the proximal vagina if the technician can't get

it through the cervix).

 

A common mistake that I often see in the media is the confusion of the terms

IVF and AI. IVF (in-vitro fertilization) has never been done with giant

pandas: only AI. IVF requires removing the eggs from the female and mixing

them in a dish in the laboratory with the sperm of the male, waiting for

eggs to become fertilized and to develop into embryos, and then implanting

the embryos back into the female's uterus. As I said, this has not been done

with pandas - no need to, as AI works very well now.

 

I am happy for the journalist groups with whom you are in contact to be

educated on the topic, if you think that my comments are helpful.

 

Best regards,

Kati Loeffler

 

 

 

On Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 3:57 PM, <

journalistandanimals wrote:

 

> Dear Dr Loeffler,

> Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

> This story was taken by many major international media groups, including ABC

> and BBC( I have saved the links too for reference) and one might be pardoned

> for thinking they are reliable sources of news, well, apparently not. I am

> however, attaching a larger version of the AP story I posted that ironically

> states that there have been Giant Panda births via artificial insemination

> whilst claiming the unique nature of this particular birth in the same

> article. Since a Chinese government official has been quoted on this, I was

> just wondering if this may be a new technique in artificial insemination as

> compared to the previous births? Would you be in a position to make some

> enquiries regarding this since you have veterinary experience?

> I would be more than willing to approach AP, BBC and ABC with your

> rejoinder if you are OK with it. Please do let me know what step you would

> consider feasible to rectify the alleged mistake. Thank you very much for

> pointing this out again, much appreciated.

> Regards and best wishes,

>

> Sincerely,

>

>

>

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i8sIuui_hv83cxkVRFbfx2VXz4xQD9\

9L3RNG0

> China announces first panda from frozen sperm

>

> By TINI TRAN (AP) – 3 days ago

>

> BEIJING — For the first time, a giant panda cub has been born in China

> after being conceived using frozen sperm, officials announced Friday — an

> innovation scientists hope will help the endangered species avoid

> extinction.

>

> The new cub's birth Thursday means breeders will no longer be forced to

> rely on semen from China's few virile males, and may even be able to bring

> in sperm from zoos in San Diego, Mexico City or elsewhere.

>

> That's key to promoting a healthy panda population because too much

> inbreeding can lead to birth defects that would further threaten the

> survival of the species.

>

> The new cub, born to You You, a female panda at the Wolong Giant Panda

> Research Center in southwestern Sichuan, is the tenth born at the breeding

> facility this year. It was You You's third successful pregnancy.

>

> Just after dawn, the pinkish, hairless cub emerged, and its mother was

> shown licking the tiny wiggling creature to clean it on footage broadcast by

> the state television channel CCTV.

>

> Panda researchers said Friday it was the first successful live birth

> worldwide using frozen panda sperm.

>

> " We did try before but it failed, " said Huang Yan, a deputy research

> technician with the China Panda Preservation Research Center.

>

> He declined to provide specifics but said the Wolong team had improved its

> thawing techniques, making frozen sperm more viable. Sperm samples are

> deep-frozen using liquid nitrogen, and in the past, only 20 to 30 percent of

> the sperm survived. But this time the center managed to raise viability to

> about 80 percent, he said.

>

> Scientists carried out the artificial insemination in March, and You You

> was found to be pregnant in June during an ultrasound. The sperm from male

> panda Lu Lu had been frozen for " a number of years, " said Huang.

>

> The sex of the baby panda is not yet clear, so it hasn't been named, Huang

> said.

>

> The technique, if it can be replicated, will be a boost for panda

> conservation efforts, said Matthew Durnin, regional science director in the

> Asia-Pacific and North Asia for The Nature Conservancy, a U.S.-based

> conservation organization.

>

> " In the past, they're limited to using semen from a few virile,

> reproductive males. If you're using only one male at a time, you start to

> get lower and lower diversity. This can help with issues of genetic

> diversity among your captive population, " he said.

>

> Besides preventing inbreeding, genetically diverse panda populations are

> generally healthier, meaning they will also have a better chance of thriving

> if released in the wild, he said.

>

> Dr. Barbara Durrant, a reproductive physiologist at San Diego Zoo, said the

> success in China opens the way for frozen semen exchanges between zoos. " The

> ideal situation would be to get semen from every male in captivity and

> freeze the sperm, " she said.

>

> " Exchanging frozen semen between zoos is definitely in the plan, " she

> added, noting this means " much less stress for the animals, " than shipping

> them to other zoos, often thousands of miles away, to mate.

>

> Panda females have only three days a year in which they can conceive — one

> reason their species is endangered. Ensuring that the male and female pandas

> are interested and able to mate during that short window is a challenge, and

> Durrant said some males never succeed at natural breeding.

>

> *As a result, artificial insemination has become common practice when

> breeding captive pandas. In 2006, 34 pandas were born through artificial

> insemination in China and 30 survived — both record numbers for the

> endangered species.*

>

> *The technique has also been used at zoos in the United States, including

> at the San Diego Zoo, where a female panda, Hua Mei, was born in 1999 using

> sperm from Shi Shi, a male who was born in the wild in China, said Yadira

> Galindo, a spokeswoman for the zoo.*

>

> *Durrant said the zoo has frozen sperm from Shi Shi, who died last year,

> as well as from its other male, Gao Gao, who was also born in the wild and

> has sired four offspring naturally. Frozen sperm from pandas born in the

> wild is especially important to promoting genetic diversity, she said.*

>

> Pandas are threatened by loss of habitat, poaching and a low reproduction

> rate. Females in the wild normally have a cub once every two or three years.

> The fertility of captive giant pandas is even lower, experts said.

>

> Only about 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in China's southwestern

> Sichuan province, which was hit by an earthquake last year that killed

> nearly 70,000 people. An additional 120 are in Chinese breeding facilities

> and zoos, and about 20 live in zoos outside China.

>

> With so few pandas left, " every female is important, every male is

> important, " Durrant said. " It behooves us to have semen from as many males

> as possible. "

>

> " I think that it is a very important achievement that has to be announced,

> that has to be celebrated, " said Jose Bernal Stoopen, Mexico City's general

> director for zoos and wild life.

>

> Mexico City's Chapultepec zoo has bred five cubs by natural means. It has

> also frozen the sperm from two pandas, but three attempts to breed cubs

> through artificial insemination have so far failed.

>

> Jose Bernal Stoopen, Mexico City's general director for zoos and wild life,

> said the " ideal is to be able to breed naturally " but artificial

> insemination is a great leap forward because it doesn't require shipping

> live animals around the world.

>

> " We are very glad that they are developing these techniques, not only for

> pandas, but for many other species that are in serious danger of

> extinction, " he said.

>

> *Associated Press Writer Eduardo Castillo in Mexico City, Gillian Flaccus

> in San Diego and Mary Sedor in New York contributed to this report.*

>

> The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

>

>

> On Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 11:58 AM, Kati Loeffler

<katiloefflerwrote:

>

>> Comment on report that a cub recently born at Wolong was the first to

>> result

>> from frozen sperm

>>

>>

>>

>> Panda cub not the first …

>>

>>

>>

>> I am afraid that this story is built on erroneous or misunderstood

>> information.

>>

>>

>>

>> The first panda cub born from frozen semen did so in 1980. Since then,

>> the

>> Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding has regularly produced cubs

>> from frozen semen: it is used just as much, if not more, than

>> freshly-collected semen for fertilization of captive pandas via artificial

>> insemination. I believe that Wolong is no different; we are uncertain how

>> this story came to be so misdirected.

>>

>>

>>

>> Please also note that the common statement that pandas ‘have low sex

>> drive’

>> and ‘have trouble reproducing’ is erroneous in that it is taken completely

>> out of the context of the natural behavior and reproductive rate for the

>> species.

>>

>>

>>

>> In the wild, giant panda females are in estrus once a year and the period

>> of

>> receptivity for fertilization is believed to last no more than 12-24

>> hours.

>> Cubs remain with their mothers for 18 to 24 months, during which time the

>> mother does not cycle. All told, a female panda living in the wild will

>> produce perhaps 6 or 7 cubs in a lifetime. In captivity in China, pandas

>> are asked to produce cubs annually, preferably bearing two cubs each time.

>> This rate of reproduction requires 1) that the cubs are weaned at the age

>> of

>> 3-5 months so that the female will cycle again the following spring, and

>> 2)

>> an intensive artificial insemination program is undertaken to make up for

>> the lack of individuals (male and female) who are able to mate naturally.

>>

>>

>>

>> The latter is a behavioral issue believed primarily due to inappropriate

>> socialization that begins with the terribly premature removal of a cub

>> from

>> its mother, followed by the intensive human handling that cubs undergo

>> when

>> reared in breeding facilities and the paucity of socialization in a normal

>> panda social environment due to the isolated lives that these animals live

>> in captivity.

>>

>>

>>

>> The physiologic and emotional stress to the female that results from the

>> intensive artificial insemination program (which often requires that she

>> is

>> anaesthetized daily or twice daily for several days in a row, sometimes

>> also

>> placed with a male while she is still recovering from the anaesthetic),

>> bearing cubs annually and losing them more than a year before she would

>> normally let them go are entirely unknown and unacknowledged.

>>

>>

>>

>> Moreover, the captive giant panda population is currently well above 250,

>> and not 120 as is cited in the article.

>>

>>

>>

>> The principle objective for captive giant panda breeding is meant to be

>> for

>> the development a self-sustaining captive population. This means that the

>> population be of sufficient size and genetic diversity to sustain itself

>> without input from wild pandas; ultimately this population may serve as a

>> source for supporting the wild population. Artificial insemination and

>> the

>> use of frozen sperm are significant factors in progress toward this

>> objective, as it allows the use of genetic stock from bears that have died

>> or that are far away: it is much easier to transport frozen semen than a

>> panda. However, political and cultural factors remain a significant

>> barrier

>> to the optimal use of genetic material for captive panda breeding, despite

>> the best efforts of certain Chinese scientists.

>>

>>

>>

>> With the tremendous success of the birth and survival rates of panda cubs

>> in

>> recent years and the consequent growth of the captive population (though

>> genetically still imbalanced), the question now is, What for? An

>> increasingly popular answer is so that pandas may be introduced into the

>> wild to support the dwindling wild population. Any of us who have worked

>> even tangentially with wildlife reintroduction are all too aware of the

>> complexity, intensive planning and research, high financial costs and

>> potential risks to the animals themselves of such an undertaking. But

>> even

>> with all that aside, the most critical factor in wildlife reintroduction

>> is

>> the commitment from the government and a country’s general population to

>> restore and then to truly protect the habitat of the species in question.

>> With China’s principle focus still on economic development, the large

>> rural

>> human populations that need help in finding alternative means of

>> livelihoods that do not infringe on wildlife habitats, and the distressing

>> development of very badly managed ‘ecotourism’ into panda and other

>> wildlife

>> habitats, we are a very long way from deserving the indulgence of thinking

>> about giant panda reintroduction.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> Kati Loeffler, DVM, PhD

>>

>> Former research veterinarian with the Smithsonian’s National Zoological

>> Park

>> working at Chengdu Panda Base.

>>

>>

>> On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 7:12 PM, <

>> journalistandanimals wrote:

>>

>> > The photo of the baby is on the website.

>> > http://news./s/ap/20090724/ap_on_sc/as_china_panda China

>> > announces

>> > first panda from frozen sperm

>> > <

>> >

>>

http://news./nphotos/southwest-China/photo//090722/481/bf64346220ff4bb1\

b47d1e918f503e68//s:/ap/20090724/ap_on_sc/as_china_panda

>> > >AP

>> > – In

>> > this photo released by the Xinhua news agency, a staff member feeds the

>> > newly born giant panda cub … *By TINI TRAN, Associated Press Writer

>> Tini

>> > Tran, Associated Press Writer – 1 min ago*

>> >

>> > *BEIJING – China announced the first successful birth of a panda cub

>> > from artificial

>> > insemination using frozen sperm, giving a new option for the famously

>> > unfertile endangered species, officials said Friday.*

>> >

>> > *Female panda You You (pronounced Yo Yo) gave birth to the new cub

>> Thursday

>> > morning at the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in southwestern

>> Sichuan.

>> > It is You You's third baby, and the 10th panda cub born at Wolong this

>> > year.

>> > *

>> >

>> > *Just after dawn, the pinkish, hairless cub emerged, and its mother

>> licked

>> > the baby to clean it, according to footage shown by state broadcaster

>> > CCTV.*

>> >

>> > *Panda researchers said Friday that they believe it's the first

>> successful

>> > live

>> > birth worldwide using frozen panda sperm.*

>> >

>> > * " We did try before but it failed, " said Huang Yan, a deputy research

>> > technician with the China Panda Preservation Research Center.*

>> >

>> > *The technique has been tried in other countries but this was the first

>> > known instance of a live birth, he said.*

>> >

>> > *The sperm from male panda Lolo had been frozen for " a number of years, "

>> > said Huang, though he did not give details.*

>> >

>> > *Artificial insemination is commonly used for breeding pandas, which

>> have a

>> > very low sex drive. In 2006, 34 pandas were born through artificial

>> > insemination in China and 30 survived — both record numbers for the

>> > endangered species. The technique has also been used at zoos in the

>> United

>> > States.*

>> >

>> > *However, using panda sperm that has been frozen earlier — instead of

>> from

>> > an immediate donor — had not been successful before.*

>> >

>> > *Scientists carried out the artificial insemination in March, and You

>> You

>> > was found to be pregnant in June during an ultrasound exam, according to

>> a

>> > notice on the Wolong Center's Web site.*

>> >

>> > *The technique, if it can be replicated, will be a positive boost for

>> panda

>> > conservation efforts, said Matthew Durnin, regional science director in

>> the

>> > Asia-Pacific and North Asia for The Nature Conservancy, a U.S.-based

>> > conservation organization.*

>> >

>> > * " In the past, they're limited to using semen from a few virile,

>> > reproductive males. If you're using only one male at a time, you start

>> to

>> > get lower and lower diversity. This can help with issues of genetic

>> > diversity among your captive population, " he said.*

>> >

>> > *Breeding giant pandas in captivity has proved difficult. Pandas are

>> > threatened by loss of habitat, poaching and a low reproduction rate.

>> > Females

>> > in the wild normally have a cub once every two or three years. The

>> > fertility

>> > of captive giant pandas is even lower, experts said.*

>> >

>> > *Only about 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in China's

>> southwestern

>> > Sichuan province, which was hit by an earthquake last year that killed

>> > nearly 70,000 people. An additional 120 are in Chinese breeding

>> facilities

>> > and zoos, and about 20 live in zoos outside China.*

>> >

>> >

>> >