The Toronto Zoo has welcomed three wood bison calves that were born in late June using ‘innovative reproductive techniques’. The new techniques allow them to deliberately choose to breed females. This will help them in an effort to keep wood bison populations stable and healthy.
Ongoing diseases such as tuberculosis and brucellosis in wild bison populations continue to threaten the species. However, the wood bison has been down-listed from “endangered” to “threatened” since 1988. Workers at the zoo believe the technique can help restore population levels in the wild.
In a release issued on Wednesday, the zoo said “reproductive technologies, such as artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, are important tools for improving the genetic management and connectivity of small populations.”
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