Routine Research
Gamete Rescue and Genome Banking
- Collection and preservation of spermatozoa following the death of an animal ("gamete rescue"), whether in the wild or in captivity, represents an important conservation and management tool.
- Genetic material (in the form of spermatozoa) can be stored indefinitely, and potentially used to produce offspring long after the male has died through AI or other assisted reproductive technologies.
- For several zoological species, sperm from live males is also banked on a routine basis once training for voluntary semen collection has been achieved.
- Our center also collects semen from anesthetized males using electroejaculation.
Reproductive Monitoring and Assessment
- Routine urinary and serum hormone analysis to determine reproductive status and timing of natural or assisted breeding.
- Hormone and ultrasound monitoring of pregnancy is used to assess fetal development, predict parturition date and facilitate peri-parturient management processes.
- The combined approach of endoscopy, ultrasound and hormone analysis allows us to monitor reproductive health and create specific-specific reproductive baseline databases.