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AI Elephant birth for Asia

Discussion in 'Thailand' started by MARK, 10 Mar 2007.

  1. MARK

    MARK Well-Known Member

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    Great news today regarding thailands and Asias first AI birth of a Asian elephant baby, its a boy who weighs in at a good 100kgs who is doing very well. :)
     
  2. patrick

    patrick Well-Known Member

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    where? and whats with this stupid reliance on artificial insemination anyway?

    soryy but did i miss something? after millions of years on the planet did elephants suddenly forgot how to %@#$?
     
  3. Monty

    Monty Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    AI is the way we will be able to keep relitivly small populations of animals like at zoos in Australia from becoming inbred after a few generations. It will mean our zoo populations will remain viable in the long term without the costly importations of new animals
     
  4. Coquinguy

    Coquinguy Well-Known Member

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    i also think its a good management tool...its not like were ver going to see zo-bred elephants reintroduced to the wild, i hope things never get that bad, but developing this technology in zoos for use on wild populations is a good thing, and a way of exchanging genes between the two populations (in-situ and ex-situ)...
    in captivity though there should be an emphasis on natural breeding too, as this obviously rcquires the correct social context, a goal as many elephant keeeping zoos as possible should realise...
     
  5. Douanita

    Douanita Well-Known Member

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    I think he means a male calf born at the Thai National Elephant Institute.
    This is their homepage.