Ejaculate characteristics of captive felidae in conservation programs
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Abstract
Many carnivore species in the Felidae family, hold conservation significance according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to its rapid decline in natural habitats. The objective of this study was to optimize semen evaluation through electroejaculation and examine ejaculate characteristics in captive Felidae for conservation purposes. The totaling nine animals were anesthetized with medetomidine (0.02 mg/kg) and tiletamine-zolazepam (1.5 mg/kg) before semen collection, which was performed using electroejaculation. Semen characteristics, including volume, pH, sperm concentration, total sperm motility, and progressive sperm motility, varied among different species. In jaguars, the semen traits were as follows: volume 1248.57±696.29 µl, pH 6.29±0.33, sperm concentration 150±31.32 x106 /ml, total sperm motility 70±3.42%, and progressive sperm motility 64±3.57%. Black leopards exhibited the following semen traits: volume 22.50±9.46 µl, pH 6.25±0.25, sperm concentration 35±7.36 x106 /ml, total sperm motility 25.03±14.98%, and progressive sperm motility 12.50±2.50%. In leopards, semen traits were observed as volume 24.75±0.71 µl, pH 6.50±0.71, sperm concentration 49.5±0.71 x106 /ml, total sperm motility 24.50±0.71%, and progressive sperm motility 11±1.41%. Asiatic golden cats demonstrated semen traits as volume 8.50±1.50 µl, pH 6.75±0.25, sperm concentration 17.50±2.50 ×106 /ml, total sperm motility 12.50±2.50%, and progressive sperm motility 12.00±2.00%. Golden tigers exhibited the following semen traits: volume 105±14.14 µl, pH 6.25±0.35, sperm concentration 49.95±0.07 x106 /ml, total sperm motility 60.25±0.35%, and progressive sperm motility 19.90±0.14%. The results of this study serve as guidelines for storing frozen semen and conducting artificial insemination in the Felidae family to aid in breeding and increasing the population for further conservation.
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