Artificial Wildlife Insemination

By: Rachel Singh

People are constantly coming up with ways to reproduce without flaws and artificial insemination is a popular method. Artificial insemination is commonly used in humans, but it is also used in captive breeding and in wildlife environments. Artificial insemination is the procedure that gives off direct semen into a womb, It is a way to reproduce. Artificial insemination is used in pigs, dogs, pedigrees, zoo animals etc. 

Artificial insemination for animals was created for numerous objectives. It causes genetic improvement in livestock, controls diseases, increases fertility, overcome breeding problems, controls offspring and decreases breeding expenses. There are many problems addressed when there is breeding in captivity. For example, panda’s cannot breed in captivity because of the time that they take to mate is longer and not worth the results. As a result, planting sperm inside an animals causes for better reproduction rates. 

Advantages of artificial insemination include; genetic improvement, wide spread availability of genes, disease control, ability to mate sires, and it can improve certain traits of the animal. It can allow for animals to reproduce without an issue and create a better environment for the wildlife around them. Zoo animals can reproduce without mating, and it can benefit the zoo by causing less money. However, a lot can go wrong with artificial insemination with wildlife creatures. The administrators must handle the semen with care or it could lead the semen to be diseased. Having diseased semen can cause disruption in the reproduction and can harm the offspring and the carrier. It is time consuming and there must be immense training to mate two animals together. Ethical issues may arise when inseminating animals though. Farmers obviously find artificial insemination useful because it helps them yield to more crop and produce. However there are issues such as overdosing the animals, or causing bacteria within the animals system. Operating on an animal runs the same risk as operating on a human being. There are numerous factors effecting the conception rate including :time of insemination, number of sperms, and the fertility of the males. 

How does it work? Insemination is a long process. Once the semen is collected, it is put to be frozen. Preservation methods include; nutrients, cold shock prevention, and the buffer component. It is delivered into the female using a tube. Once it is mixed with a solution of glycerol and other cryoprotectants, antibiotics are added. It is then injected into the female. There are many types of methods for artificial insemination in animals. They include; Electro-ejaculation(used in rams and bulls), Massage Method, Artificial Vagina (rams, stallions). 

Time of Insemination for selected animals:
Cow - 12 hours
Sheep - 12 to 18 hours
Horses - Every second day 


 Here is a summary video of conception rates for whitetail deers : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kuwGXTWWXE

I personally feel like the best way to improve artificial insemination is to conduct further research and have the trainers and conductors be more aware of what they’re doing. Taking care of the animals are just as important as inseminating a human, so it needs special care. Having further information about the reproduction technology would make for better results. 

Do you feel as if this method of reproducing is affective in animals? What are other ways we can make sure there are successful conception rates? 

Links:

http://wilkes.ces.ncsu.edu/2012/12/what-are-the-advantages-of-using-artificial-insemination-ai-in-your-livestock-breeding-program/

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/217986.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_insemination#Artificial_insemination_in_livestock_and_pets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOoYrZBbnR8