The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium has been waiting for over a year for the South African government to release 16 liters of elephant jism so the zoo can start the first sperm bank for African elephants in North America.
Scientists collected the samples as part of Project Frozen Dumbo, an international effort to help zoos breed and conserve the largest living land animal. The program would enable zoos on several continents to breed elephants without the danger of transporting them thousands of miles. So far, there's enough spooge to inseminate 300 female elephants. Fortunately, scientists expect the frozen samples to last several more years.
At this point, South African officials have not commented on the delay or responded to press inquiries.
Part of the delay could be due to quarantine issues or paperwork required by international treaty, said Frank Goeritz, head of veterinary services and senior scientist for reproduction management at the Leibniz Institute. "The law and associated guidelines are different from country to country," said Goeritz, a reproductive consultant for Project Frozen Dumbo. "The problem is there is no standard protocol developed because it's a groundbreaking project."
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