Tubectomy of Pregnant and Non-pregnant Female Balinese Macaques (Macaca Fascicularis) With Post-operative Monitoring

peer reviewedWorldwide, primates, and humans increasingly share habitats and often enter in conflict when primates thrive in human-dominated environments, calling for special management measures. Reproductive control is increasingly used to manage population growth but very few monitoring data are available. Therefore, the efficiency and implications of such programs require a careful examination. In the context of a contraception program in wild female long-tailed macaques in Ubud, Bali, conducted over four successive campaigns between 2017 and 2019, including 140 females (i.e., 41.9% of the reproductive females of the population in 2019), modifications of an endoscopic tubectomy procedure, a permanent sterilization method, clinical evaluation of this method, and the post-operative monitoring results of the neutered females after release are described. This surgical approach was applicable for pregnant females: 28.6% of the treated females were pregnant at the time of the surgery. The procedure used a single lateral port to reach and cauterize both oviducts in non-pregnant as well as in early to mid-term pregnant females. Pregnant females nearer to term required a second lateral port to access both oviducts masked by the size of the gravid uterus. Moreover, bipolar thermocauterization was utilized successfully without resection to realize the tubectomy. The average duration of the laparoscopic surgery was 14 min for non-pregnant females and 22 min for pregnant females. Animals were released 3 h 22 min in average following their capture. This short holding time, recommended for free-ranging primates, was made possible by the minimal invasiveness of the sterilization approach. A laparoscopic post-operative evaluation conducted on two patients during the following campaign confirmed that the oviducts were definitely disrupted and no longer patent. Moreover, no new pregnancies in sterilized females were recorded during the 3-year observation period. The survival rate of the treated females 6 months after sterilization was high (96.3%) with no major post-operative complications clinically recorded. Among females that were pregnant during surgery, 81.1% were confirmed to experience term delivery. This study demonstrates the safety and efficiency of endoscopic tubectomy, even for pregnant females, as a mean of wild macaques' population control

Electro-ejaculation de chevaux de Prezwalsi sur le terrain: résultats & perpectives

hus, semen collected from wild horses by electro-ejaculation performed under anaesthesia could be shipped after large dilution to the lab and eventually used for AI programs, if CASA results show sufficient motility

Case Report: Suppression of Harem Stallion Behavior and Fertility Following Anti-Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Vaccination of a Captive Wild Przewalski's Horse (Equus ferus przewalskii)

This report describes an option to modulate the testicular function of wild horses and field methods to assess it. Non-surgical castration of a captive wild Przewalski’s stallion with anti-gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunization was performed by sub-cutaneous injection of two doses of 450 μg (3 ml) of GnRH conjugated to diphtheria toxin, further repeated every 6 months. Semen quality was assessed after collection by electro-ejaculation under general anesthesia. Endocrine and behavioral consequences were studied during a 2-year follow-up period. The procedure of electro-ejaculation was safe and effective to collect spermatozoa. Motility was low but was improved by a significant dilution of sample (1v/4v−1v/5v) after collection. Immuno-neutering resulted in a decrease of the total spermatozoa number and motility 1 month after primary vaccination. However, infertility could not yet be guaranteed. Six months post-vaccination, serum testosterone concentrations had decreased and the treated stallion had lost his harem stallion role. Moreover, at the same time, the total spermatozoa number was near zero with no motile spermatozoa, and offspring was no longer observed. As a conclusion, electro-ejaculation under general anesthesia is suitable on wild horses to obtain spermatozoa that should be washed or largely diluted before use for artificial insemination (AI) programs. Anti-GnRH immuno-neutering protocol led to a dramatic decrease of spermatozoa number, motility, and testosterone production. This also induced deep changes in the social structure of the band. Such technique could be considered as an alternative to surgical castration in wild horses

Birth control in urban macaques: Description of a tubectomy program and post-op monitoring in Macaca fascicularis, Indonesia

In Asia, primates and humans are increasingly forced to share space, and often enter in conflict when primates proliferate in anthropogenic environments. Reproductive control is increasingly used to limit population growth but very few monitoring data are available. Therefore, the efficiency and implications of such programs require a careful examination. Our research aims to assess the adequacy and implications of a three-year sterilization program in wild female long-tailed macaques in Ubud, Bali. We present the rationales behind the selected methods (surgical approach of endoscopic tubectomy and giant trapping cages for captures) and we describe the demographic population model used to establish the objectives of population growth control. We then present the outcomes of this program and the postoperative monitoring results. 137 females underwent tubectomy over four successive campaigns between 2017 and 2019, which represented 45% of the sexually mature females of the population. The survival rate was very high (96%) six months after sterilization and no major postoperative complication were recorded. No novel pregnancy in treated females was observed, reflecting a 100% success rate of the procedure. Moreover, the surgical approach was also applicable for pregnant females since 26% of the treated females were pregnant at the time of the surgery and 77% of them experienced term delivery. Overall, this study case demonstrates the safety and efficiency of tubectomy sterilization as mean of population control in wild macaques. A demographical and behavioural monitoring is currently in progress to provide a global evaluation of the implications of such program

American Bison (Bison bison) reproductive endocrinology: serum Pregnancy Associated Glycoproteins (PAG), Progesterone, Estrone and Estrone-Sulfate in non pregnant animals and during gestation

This study describes concentrations of Pregnancy Associated Glycoproteins (PAG), progesterone (P4), estrone (E1) and estrone-sulfate (E1S) in American Bison sera. In 2 ranches, mature American Bison were sampled once a year for 2 yr. Subsequent American Bison cows calving days were reported. PAG concentration was determined by Radio-Immuno Assay, whereas P4, E1 and E1S were assayed using Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry. Concentrations were compared between American Bison bulls (B, n = 7), Nonpregnant cows (NP, n = 32), first (1TP, n = 3), second (2TP, n = 26) and third (3TP, n = 15) trimester of pregnancy. Seven American Bison bulls and 92 cows were sampled, 51 calved during these 2 yr. Calving occurred mostly in spring (74.5%), but also in summer (13.7%) and fall (11.8%). PAG and P4 were higher in 2TP and 3TP than B and NP (P< 0.0001). P4 was non-basal in B and NP. E1 and E1S were correlated (P< 0.0001; r = 0.76) and increased in 2TP and 3TP when compared with B and NP (P< 0.01). Moreover, E1S was higher in 3TP than in 2TP (P< 0.0001) and correlated to pregnancy day (P< 0.0001; r = 0.60). Breeding American Bison in Belgium induces a calving seasonality loss. P4 slowly increases in 1TP and remains steady and high in 2 and 3TP. P4 non-basal and variable concentrations in B or NP disable its use as gestation marker. American Bison produce PAG in the 2 and 3TP, but Estrone-sulfate assay seems to be the best pregnancy marker during the 2 last trimesters as it could help to estimate the gestation period

Analysis of progesterone and estrone-sulfate in feces of American Bison using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry: Technical validation and correlation with blood levels

peer reviewedAmerican Bison’s wild nature limits blood sample availability to study its endocrinology. This report describes progesterone (P4) and estrone-sulfate (E1S) assays in American Bison feces using Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). In 2 ranches, samples of feces (n = 73) and serum (n = 93) were collected in pregnant and nonpreg- nant American Bison. Feces samples (250 mg) were extracted with methanol, purified, and concentrated. Then, feces and serum samples were assayed using LC-MS, according to our previously described technique. Fecal matrix homogeneity was determined by measuring steroids in different areas of the sample and concentration evolutions were evaluated after storage at room temperature. During the validation process, lower limits of quantification were 20 pg/g (E1S) and 4 ng/g (P4) by meeting the following criteria: relative standard de- viation <15% and relative bias <15%. By measuring hormones in different spots from the same sample, a moderate variability for E1S (coefficient of variation [CV] up to 21.3%) and a high variability for P4 (CV up to 85.5%) were highlighted. Correlation between concen- trations in feces and in serum was higher for E1S (r = 0.77) than for P4 (r = 0.65) and P4 could be assayed in pregnant and nonpregnant animals whereas E1S was only present in pregnant. Feces storage at room temperature induced modification of steroid concen- trations. The quantification of E1S and, at a lower level, of P4 in feces is an interesting alternative to serum assay to describe the pregnancy-related evolution of these steroids in American Bisons, with feces ideally stored frozen and mixed before the LC-MS procedures