Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical garden's Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) in partnership with SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Reproductive Research Center will expand access to and build capacity for African and Asian rhino reproductive care within North American zoo facilities. Current rates of reproduction in captive African and Asian rhinos remain insufficient for long-term sustainability and increased poaching is threatening wild rhino populations, CREW will use its expertise in Asian rhino assisted reproductive technology, which includes artificial insemination, hormone administration, sperm collection, sorting (male vs. female), and cryopreservation, to develop techniques for African rhinos and will train eight partner facilities in these techniques. The project will assist facilities in producing rhino pregnancies through technology transfer of proven and novel assisted reproductive technology and staff training, thus increasing the tools rhino managers have at their disposal to meet the genetic and demographic needs of captive breeding programs, and ensuring these animals are around in zoological settings for many years to come.