Page 35 - Scene Magazine 41-05 May 2016

At The Zoo
By DR. JUDILEE MARROw
Canids or dogs are one of the most geographically diverse carnivore species. They in- habit all continents with the exception of Antarctica. De- spite their wide
distribution there are only 35 species of dogs present worldwide. Two of the species that call Binder Park Zoo home are among the most endangered canids in the world – the African painted dog and the Mexican gray wolf (a subspecies of the North American gray wolf).
African painted dogs (Lycaon pictus) are native to open planes of sub-Saharan Africa. They form and hunt in cooper- ative packs of up to 30 animals. Each individual has a unique spot pattern of red, white and brown markings which provide them with camouflage as they hunt. As human settlements in Afri- ca have expanded, these dogs face two major threats. First, packs close to hu- man settlements can develop a taste for livestock, and they are often hunted and killed by farmers who fear for their do- mestic animals. Secondly, domestic dogs that live in these human settlements can also carry infectious diseases such as rabies virus and canine distemper virus that have decimated wild populations of African Painted Dogs. They are now considered one of the most endangered carnivore species in Africa.
Mexican gray wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) are native to the Southwest Unit- ed States and Northern Mexico. Once almost completely eradicated from the wild, this subspecies of the gray wolf still faces significant threats. Fewer than 100 animals are found in the wild today and there is still resistance to accept the Mexican gray wolves by some farmers and landowners that still see them as a threat to their way of life. Mexican gray wolves are considered by some to be the most endangered subspecies of North American canid.
With canids like these in decline, steps need to be made to preserve these animals before they are gone forever. Ideally we would be able to solve the threats to wild animals in their native
Preserving Endangered Canids
habitats; however until conditions are more favorable, steps need to be taken to preserve species in captive settings. Binder Park Zoo, along with other As- sociation of Zoos and Aquarium (AZA) institutions, accomplishes this through responsible management and captive breeding of these species. When space in captivity is limited or breeding pairs are not compatible we turn to options like “frozen zoos.” A “frozen zoo” or “fro- zen ark” is a holding facility that stores
sperm, eggs, embryos, or tissue at very low temperatures. Saved cells can be used to create new life many years after the animal that donated the sample has passed away. For example, frozen sperm can be used in artificial insemination procedures or frozen embryos can under- go embryo transfer procedures to create new life.
In the past three years, Binder Park Zoo has partnered with researchers to preserve sperm samples through cryo- preservation from both Mexican gray wolves and African painted dogs. In 2013 and 2014 Binder Park Zoo, in
collaboration with St. Louis Zoo’s Re- search Department, worked with Dr. Cheryl Asa and Ms. Karen Baumen to collect semen samples from the Zoo’s three aging Mexican gray wolves. Sam- ples collected contained up to 14 billion sperm which were preserved for poten- tial future use in artificial insemination procedures. Since the wolves at the Zoo are of advanced age this might be the last chance they have to pass along their genetic information and legacy. In 2015, Binder Park Zoo partnered with Dr. Femke Van den Berghe from the Insti- tute for Breeding Rare and Endangered African Mammals and James Cook Uni- versity in Australia to collect behavior- al data, along with hormone and sperm samples from our pack of African paint- ed dogs. In African painted dogs, the sci- ence behind how to preserve sperm cells has not been evaluated before. Binder Park Zoo’s African painted dogs played an important part in the research to de- velop techniques for preserving sperm from this species and this research has the potential to provide a critical step in preserving this endangered species for the future. To date, the sperm samples donated by the African painted dogs or the Mexican wolves at Binder Park Zoo have not been used for artificial insem- ination, but we are hopeful that partici- pating in this research will help to pre- serve these rare and endangered species.
Canids continue to captivate audienc- es of all ages, but species like the Afri- can painted dog and Mexican gray wolf continue to be endangered. Infectious disease pressures and human interac- tions continue to be significant threats to endangered dogs around the world. Al- though we have not been able to mitigate all the threats that dogs face worldwide, we can preserve their genetic infor- mation and their legacy long after they are deceased, through cryopreservation of sperm and storage in “frozen zoos.” Binder Park Zoo will continue to partner with researchers and AZA institutions across the country to conserve wildlife for the future.
Judilee Marrow, DVM Diplomate ACZM, Binder Park Zoo Staff Veterinarian
(Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), (American College of Zoological Medicine)
African Painted Dog
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