Is there any data on artificial insemination in pygmy hippos? Our zoo is getting a female soon, but chance to find a mate for her ASAP is small since the male birth rate is quite low (wish the elephants were like them...) Moreover, males often cause problems (marking exhibit & visitors with poop, being aggressive towards people, females and offspring), so AI option is very attractive - we can have 2 females then...
I found only 1 related article, and it was bout sperm preservation in pygmy hippos, not AI itself. But surely some zoo has already tried to do it succesfully.
Try to contact the reproduction management department of the IZW, in particular Prof. Dr. Hildebrandt or Dr. Göritz Staff - IZW Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in the Forschungsverbund Berlin e. V.
Thanks Now let's wait until the hippos arrive & reach sexual maturity. Eve will be 2 years soon, so she may start breeding in 2015. Other girl also planned to transfer is 1 year old. Btw in Dr. Hildebrandt's CV I saw a photo of wet-preserved stillborn Asian elephant! They honored at least one of those cuties. I'm extremely pleased)))
