Troubleshooting infertility in and species

Linda M Penfold Numbers of estrus cycles per lifetime

 Breeding: 9 month gestation, ~21 cycles by age 9; 15-20 year longevity = 39-52 estrus cycles in a lifetime  Non-breeding: ~84 estrus cycles by age 9; 156-216 estrus cycles in a lifetime

14

12 36 33

10

8 10/10 11/12 6

4

2 3/3 2 years

0 2-3 4-9 4-9 5 years 4 years -

18 16 20 5/17 14 12 10 8 6 open 8 years 7/7 5/6 4 2 0 1 2-23 8-39 >124 O 6 years Nile

12

10

8

8 years 6

4

2

0 2-3 4-9 >10 2-3 4-9 >10

7 years 18 months Antelope and cattle species

[Has the been contracepted] Male Female Has the animal reproduced before?

Yes No Yes No

Hormone profiles/ Is/are the female(s) mature? Check the females Check the male Check if cycling How long has she been open? (unless it is a ) Or switch males What is the body condition?

Hormone therapy to regulate Cycles or support pregnancy Semen quality

Giant eland Grevy’s zebra Relatively easy option to check the male in the US – bilaterally cryptorchid

CM. VanderKlok, LM. Penfold, J Siegal-Willott, SB. Citino. (2008). Idiopathic infertility in two male gerenuk (Litocranius walleri walleri). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 39: 398-405. Onset of puberty in gerenuk

Age 8-11 mo 12-17 m 18-26 mo 3-6 yrs ( n=4) (n=3) (n=9) (n=6)

Mot % 0 37.5 ± 8.3 56.6 ± 3.2 59.2 ± 6.1 Morph % 0 10.3 ± 1.9 34.4 ± 6.2 41.5 ± 6.7 Vol ml 0 0.41 ± 0.15 1.4 ± 0.4 1.8 ± 0.5 Testes vol 5.5 ± 2.7 12.5 ± 1.7 18.7 ± 1.6 23.7 ± 1.8 Conc × 106 0 44.8 ± 15.5 651 ± 274 301 ± 169 Total sperm x 106 0 22.6 ± 15.6 574 ± 165 303 ± 90.6 Total sperm Motility % Normal morphology% Roan <1 0 10 Sable 41 8 20 Bongo <1 10 7 8 Slenderhorn 1.4 0 28 2072 78 80 Gerenuk (n=9) 650 ± 274 56.6 ± 3.2 34.4 ± 6.2 818 88 42 1738 60 98 2024 50 . 2291 50 . 4368 90 93 J (n=7) 4700 ± 1141 46.0 ± 3.5 45 ± 25

Cape hartebeest 5621 ± 1991 64 ± 5.1 87 ± 2.3 (n=3) Soemmering 6138 93 87 5880 90 100 10,009 90 48 13,909 66 95 (n=13) 53,399 80 99 Roan

Semen volume 2.2 ml Concentration <1.0 × 106 Motility 0% Normal morphology 10% Congenital goiter in bongo

 Adult male, maintained with a herd of females for several years, no offspring  Enlarged neck, polycystic filled with clear yellow fluid  Semen volume: 2.86 ml  Motility: 5%  Concentration: 8 x 106/ml  Normal morphology: 7%

Clinical and morphologic findings of familial goiter in bongo antelope ( eurycerus). CA Schiller, RJ Montali, S Doi Veterinary Pathology, 1995 - vet.sagepub.com Main causes of infertility in female hoofstock

 Females left open too long (impala, Nile lechwe)  Irregular cycling, early/late pregnancy loss ()  Believed refractory to the breeding male (suids)  Freemartinism (lesser , ?) Main causes of infertility in male hoofstock

 Congenital goiter (bongo)  Long periods of chronic ill health  Infertility is generally rare in male hoofstock Top 10 reasons for ‘infertility’

 Male not put with female  Male not put with female long enough  Female left open too long  Female refractory to male (suids)  Inappropriate social grouping  Irregular cycling  Progesterone insufficiency  Individuals are over conditioned/under conditioned  Contraception implant not removed  Animal is too young/small Antelope and cattle

 Infertility rates – low  Generally not the males  Advanced age usually does not diminish semen quality  “Use it or Lose it” for the females, with possible increased sensitivity in some species (impala and Nile lechwe) Gamete Rescue

 Make a plan for banking genetics of valuable males  Bank additional serum and tissue samples at the same time  Add a cheat sheet to the AZAUngulate website  PROPOSED GUIDELINES FOR NATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SEMEN BETWEEN ZOOLOGICAL INSTITUTIONS. LM Penfold N Hall, G Pye. AAZV 2016