Advances in Reproductive Science for Wild Carnivore Conservation

Abstract

Knowledge about reproduction is critical for predicting the viability of wildlife populations in nature and for managing breeding programmes in captivity. Intensive species-based studies are the priority, because reproductive mechanisms are extraordinarily diverse, even within the same taxonomic family. Carnivores deserve more attention as such species are highly vulnerable to environmental change and human persecution. The present review provides contemporary illustrations of how reproductive science is contributing to understand unique reproductive mechanisms that are both of fundamental and applied interest. In the case of the endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) free-living in South Africa, non-invasive faecal corticosteroid assessments have yielded new insights about the impact of animal relocation and reintroduction on adaptive responses, reproductive fitness and survival. For the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), advances have been made in characterizing and comparing reproductive traits in free-ranging vs captive individuals. For the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), recent studies have focused on the cryosensitivity of sperm and the ability to develop a field-friendly sperm cryo-method. The by-product has been a large-scale frozen repository of sperm from wild-caught cheetahs useful for infusing new genes into ex situ populations. Finally, rigorous, multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional reproductive studies of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), including the use of artificial insemination, have contributed to the remarkable recovery and restoration of this species, once on the brink of extinction. In summary, advances in reproductive science are not necessarily related to 'assisted breeding'. However, understanding the unique ways of carnivore reproduction greatly contributes to species management and conservation.

Monitoring stress in captive and free-ranging African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) using faecal glucocorticoid metabolites

“…Most other studies of GC patterns in this species have been limited to the effects of immobilisation, handling and translocation (Comizzoli et al, 2009;Creel et al, 1997b;de Villiers et al, 1995;de Villiers et al, 1997), so further investigations into potential biological causes of chronic stress in both captive and free-ranging populations are still needed.…”

Preservation of female fertility in humans and animal species

“…Valuable lessons can be learned from clinical ARTs and human fertility preservation programmes that can be applied to domestic livestock and also be used for the conservation of wild or endangered animals by the cryopreservation of sperm, oocytes and embryos and the preservation of intact gonadal tissues (Paulson and Comizzoli, 2018). Examples of exactly how the potential of bio banks and ARTs such as artificial insemination with cryopreserved sperm have been used successfully to save endangered animals are provided by giant pandas (Huang et al, 2012), domestic and wild carnivores (Comizzoli et al, 2009; and the black footed ferret (Howard and Wildt, 2009). In contrast to the successful use of sperm freezing, the recent progress made with human oocyte cryopreservation by vitrification has been far more difficult to translate to conservation programmes in animals due to a general lack of basic understanding of the complexity of mature oocyte biology and their cryo-sensitivity in different, target species (Comizzoli, 2017).…”

Cryopreservation of epididymal semen of domestic cat

“…В настоящее время для сохранения генетического разно-образия диких кошек ex situ используются как традицион-ные подходы, так и более современные методы, например создание криобанков генетических ресурсов (Comizzoli et al, 2009;Амстиславский и др., 2015Jewgenow et al, 2017). Cемя 27 видов/подвидов диких кошачьих было успешно криоконсервировано хотя бы один раз; по другим представителям семейства кошачьих данные по замораживанию семени в литературе отсутствуют (Fickel et al, 2007;Амстиславский и др., 2017).…”