Scientists study cheetah

THE Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) recently joined forces with a team of four reproductive physiologists from the United States to do research on cheetah reproduction.

A statement issued by the CCF says the research was aimed at evaluating the influence of age on cheetah reproduction. It started on August 21 and ended at the beginning of this month.Typically, cheetahs reproduce poorly in captivity and the efficiency of reproduction for female cheetahs drops after eight years of age.Scientists from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoological Park in Washington DC and the University of California used ultrasound technology to investigate female cheetahs’ reproductive organs.”In addition, oocytes (eggs) from the cheetahs will be recovered and inseminated with sperm in vitro (in the lab),” it said.Some of the material was frozen for storage in the CCF’s Genome Resource Bank, a reservoir of frozen genetic and biological materials.The study included 33 cheetahs from several facilities in two countries.The results, said the statement, would contribute to the growing database on cheetah health and reproduction, vital to ensure the survival of the species.CCF, a not-for-profit organisation, was founded in 1990.Its mission is to be an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and education on cheetahs and their ecosystems, working with other parties on the conservation and management of the world’s cheetahs.It is located 44 km outside Otjiwarongo.It started on August 21 and ended at the beginning of this month.Typically, cheetahs reproduce poorly in captivity and the efficiency of reproduction for female cheetahs drops after eight years of age.Scientists from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoological Park in Washington DC and the University of California used ultrasound technology to investigate female cheetahs’ reproductive organs.”In addition, oocytes (eggs) from the cheetahs will be recovered and inseminated with sperm in vitro (in the lab),” it said.Some of the material was frozen for storage in the CCF’s Genome Resource Bank, a reservoir of frozen genetic and biological materials.The study included 33 cheetahs from several facilities in two countries.The results, said the statement, would contribute to the growing database on cheetah health and reproduction, vital to ensure the survival of the species.CCF, a not-for-profit organisation, was founded in 1990.Its mission is to be an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and education on cheetahs and their ecosystems, working with other parties on the conservation and management of the world’s cheetahs.It is located 44 km outside Otjiwarongo.