African lions are losing more and more of their habitat but their problem is
of their habitat but their problem is
of their habitat but their problem is not one of space alone because lions
not one of space alone because lions
not one of space alone because lions need lots of room to roam only the
need lots of room to roam only the
need lots of room to roam only the biggest parks have enough space to
biggest parks have enough space to
biggest parks have enough space to support several prized with a variety of
support several prized with a variety of
support several prized with a variety of genes lions and smaller reserves have a
genes lions and smaller reserves have a
genes lions and smaller reserves have a very limited gene pool making them much
very limited gene pool making them much
very limited gene pool making them much more susceptible to disease we have a
more susceptible to disease we have a
more susceptible to disease we have a whole bunch of lion populations that are
whole bunch of lion populations that are
whole bunch of lion populations that are isolated within southern Africa so that
isolated within southern Africa so that
isolated within southern Africa so that presents a problem to us because certain
presents a problem to us because certain
presents a problem to us because certain of these areas cannot can only hold a
of these areas cannot can only hold a
of these areas cannot can only hold a certain amount of lions so we’re not
certain amount of lions so we’re not
certain amount of lions so we’re not having mixing of genes in the old days
having mixing of genes in the old days
having mixing of genes in the old days there weren’t the fences there weren’t
there weren’t the fences there weren’t
there weren’t the fences there weren’t the highways so lion populations were
the highways so lion populations were
the highways so lion populations were able to roam over vast areas and so you
able to roam over vast areas and so you
able to roam over vast areas and so you had gene mixing in those days those
had gene mixing in those days those
had gene mixing in those days those stagnating gene pools are fast becoming
stagnating gene pools are fast becoming
stagnating gene pools are fast becoming a major concern for conservationists
a major concern for conservationists
a major concern for conservationists we think that we need to go in now to to
we think that we need to go in now to to
we think that we need to go in now to to help the lion population we don’t want
help the lion population we don’t want
help the lion population we don’t want to have inbred lines here in the future
to have inbred lines here in the future
to have inbred lines here in the future because the more inbred there are the
because the more inbred there are the
because the more inbred there are the bigger chance there is of some disease
bigger chance there is of some disease
bigger chance there is of some disease coming in and wiping out the majority of
coming in and wiping out the majority of
coming in and wiping out the majority of them a simple solution would be to move
them a simple solution would be to move
them a simple solution would be to move male lions from one site to another
male lions from one site to another
male lions from one site to another but lion behavior makes that difficult
but lion behavior makes that difficult
but lion behavior makes that difficult to do
to do
to do usually when you take lines away and you
usually when you take lines away and you
usually when you take lines away and you put them with a new population the new
put them with a new population the new
put them with a new population the new population tune against them and mostly
population tune against them and mostly
population tune against them and mostly end up killing them so the idea is to
end up killing them so the idea is to
end up killing them so the idea is to try something that seems straightforward
try something that seems straightforward
try something that seems straightforward artificial insemination
dr. Paul Bartels runs the wildlife
dr. Paul Bartels runs the wildlife breeding Resource Center in Pretoria
breeding Resource Center in Pretoria
breeding Resource Center in Pretoria South Africa he’s discovered a new means
South Africa he’s discovered a new means
South Africa he’s discovered a new means of preserving genetic diversity through
of preserving genetic diversity through
of preserving genetic diversity through artificial insemination the team
artificial insemination the team
artificial insemination the team collects viable sperm samples from
collects viable sperm samples from
collects viable sperm samples from unrelated lions in geographically
unrelated lions in geographically
unrelated lions in geographically distant populations what we’ve done is
distant populations what we’ve done is
distant populations what we’ve done is dot the males and do a vasectomy and of
dot the males and do a vasectomy and of
dot the males and do a vasectomy and of course that sterilizes him but we at the
course that sterilizes him but we at the
course that sterilizes him but we at the same time able to bank down some sperm
same time able to bank down some sperm
same time able to bank down some sperm from that particular male and now what
from that particular male and now what
from that particular male and now what is useful because he’s talking of the
is useful because he’s talking of the
is useful because he’s talking of the pride is an indicator to us which of the
pride is an indicator to us which of the
pride is an indicator to us which of the females are coming into season so that
females are coming into season so that
females are coming into season so that we can then odd fish ly inseminate them
we can then odd fish ly inseminate them
we can then odd fish ly inseminate them one of the biggest challenges with this
one of the biggest challenges with this
one of the biggest challenges with this procedure is the fact that they are
procedure is the fact that they are
procedure is the fact that they are operating on wild animals there are a
operating on wild animals there are a
operating on wild animals there are a number of difficulties in doing
number of difficulties in doing
number of difficulties in doing artificial insemination with lions
artificial insemination with lions
artificial insemination with lions obviously the first is they bite and
obviously the first is they bite and
obviously the first is they bite and they can they can kill you so you have
they can they can kill you so you have
they can they can kill you so you have to develop a technique where you can
to develop a technique where you can
to develop a technique where you can work with them with the least amount of
work with them with the least amount of
work with them with the least amount of stress because you don’t want stress on
stress because you don’t want stress on
stress because you don’t want stress on these animals so we developing various
these animals so we developing various
these animals so we developing various techniques whereby and we can dot the
techniques whereby and we can dot the
techniques whereby and we can dot the animal these are very well designed
animal these are very well designed
animal these are very well designed drugs they go to sleep they wake up we
drugs they go to sleep they wake up we
drugs they go to sleep they wake up we don’t suspect they even wake up with
don’t suspect they even wake up with
don’t suspect they even wake up with much of a hangover feeling although the
much of a hangover feeling although the
much of a hangover feeling although the lion objects loudly to the dart is not
lion objects loudly to the dart is not
lion objects loudly to the dart is not painful the lion park we can develop the
painful the lion park we can develop the
painful the lion park we can develop the technology it’s relatively easy because
technology it’s relatively easy because
technology it’s relatively easy because it’s a small confined area we can find
it’s a small confined area we can find
it’s a small confined area we can find the lines above quicker develop the
the lines above quicker develop the
the lines above quicker develop the techniques and then transfer it to the
techniques and then transfer it to the
techniques and then transfer it to the wall blood and tissue samples are
wall blood and tissue samples are
wall blood and tissue samples are collected from each of the Lions the
collected from each of the Lions the
collected from each of the Lions the genetic material is frozen and stored
genetic material is frozen and stored
genetic material is frozen and stored for the future
for the future
for the future we have sperm and various tissue banked
we have sperm and various tissue banked
we have sperm and various tissue banked away so that if there’s a problem with
away so that if there’s a problem with
away so that if there’s a problem with the population at least in the future
the population at least in the future
the population at least in the future then we have an option where we can
then we have an option where we can
then we have an option where we can bring this back we are very confident
bring this back we are very confident
bring this back we are very confident that that we’re going to get some babies
that that we’re going to get some babies
that that we’re going to get some babies from artificial insemination and it’s a
from artificial insemination and it’s a
from artificial insemination and it’s a case of sticking with it and actually
case of sticking with it and actually
case of sticking with it and actually doing the project and getting the babies
doing the project and getting the babies
doing the project and getting the babies at the end of the day
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