Kenmerken van de voortplanting en de geassisteerde voortplanting bij de witte (Ceratotherium simum) en zwarte (Diceros bicornis) neushoorn

Abstract

Despite the worldwide increase of rhinoceros calf numbers, the growth of the population of white and black rhinoceros is slowing down mainly due to anthropogenic causes, such as poaching and habitat loss. Assisted reproduction is one of the methods of preserving the valuable genomes of these animals from being lost, and assists in breeding them in captivity to maintain the specie(s) numbers and provide an option for possible reintroduction into the wild. Since wild rhinoceros are difficult to handle and examine clinically, most of the current information available on their reproductive characteristics has been gained from captive rhinoceros populations. Nevertheless, very little is known about rhinoceros reproduction. Since the rhinoceros belongs to the odd-toed ungulates (Perissodactyls) group, like the horse and the tapir, the horse has been proposed as a suitable model to study reproduction and artificial reproductive techniques in the rhinoceros. In this review, the current knowledge of the reproduction of the rhinoceros is summarized.

Comparative reproduction of the female horse, elephant and rhinoceros: implications for advancing assisted reproductive technologies

“…4E ), the embryo itself around 23 days ( Fig. 4F ) and an embryonic heartbeat at 26 days ( Radcliffe et al 1997 , Ververs et al 2015 ), mirroring the timing of these stages in the equine conceptus ( Fig. 4 ).…”

“…Reports on the successful application of ART in pachyderms are mostly limited to a few individuals, thus bringing the sustainability and repeatability of these techniques into question (as reviewed by Hermes et al 2007 , Ververs et al 2015 , Pennington & Durrant 2018 ). However, equine reproductive physiology and many of the ARTs in the mare have been studied for decades resulting in a wealth of knowledge and the ability to apply them routinely in clinical practice ( Hinrichs 2018 ).…”

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“…Southern white rhinoceros as a species is conservation dependent, occurring solely in areas and on private game ranches, but it is tolerant to local human activity and can be ranched under rewilded semi-intensive and semi-extensive conditions. Under these conditions, where the density of animals is higher and regular anaesthetic procedures for management purposes and/ or translocation are likely to increase stress levels, there is no detectable difference in cow fertility [108][109]. Also, [110] found that faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels do not differ between ranched and free-ranging adult rhino individuals, but routine dehorning procedures do result in short-term stress responses that dissipate after 72 hours.…”

Contribution of private game ranching and captive bred operations in South Africa to White rhinoCeratotherium simumspecies survival conservation

“…Trophy hunting selectively removes surplus and non-breeding adult males, whilst generating important revenue for private and state conservation (while poaching targets animals of all ages and Contribution of Private Game Ranching and CBOs in S.A. to White rhino conservation Southern white rhinoceros as a species is conservation dependent, occurring solely in protected areas and on private game ranches, but it is tolerant to local human activity and can be ranched under rewilded semi-intensive and semi-extensive conditions. Under these conditions, where the density of animals is higher and regular anaesthetic procedures for management purposes and/ or translocation are likely to increase stress levels, there is no detectable difference in cow fertility [108][109]. Also, faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels do not differ between ranched and free-ranging adult rhino individuals, but routine dehorning procedures do result in short-term stress responses that dissipate after 72 hours [110].…”