A similar surgery was successfully performed while Padilla was a resident at the Saint Louis Zoo in 2003 on South American bush dogs, which resemble Chihuahuas. They are classified as vulnerable but not endangered.The "temporary vasectomy" could have a significant impact on how animals are managed in captivity by giving zookeepers a new way to control the animal's offspring without having to neuter them or use contraceptives that can change an animal's behavior.
Minnesota, the 20-year-old horse, had a vasectomy in 1999 at his previous home at the Minnesota Zoo. A vasectomy may be performed on an endangered animal because of space constraints, the size of species or if an animal has already produced many offspring and its genes are overrepresented in the population, said Budhan Pukazhenthi, a reproductive scientist at the National Zoo's Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Va.Scientists later realized Minnesota was one of the most genetically valuable horses in the North American breeding program based on his ancestry.
The Przewalski horse population is based on the genes from only 14 original animals. Zookeepers hope to find a suitable female for Minnesota in July.The breakthrough "could have a very significant effect on how this species is preserved," Padilla said.Still, reversible vasectomies carry notable risks - from putting a horse to sleep for each operation to placing the horse on its back for the surgery.
"I'm sure some people will look at it as a great way for managing species in captivity, and I'm sure others will look at it as something they don't want to do," Padilla said.Cheryl Asa, director of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's Wildlife Contraception Center, said the reversible vasectomy could be useful in isolated cases but probably won't be adopted broadly.
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