As part of their management of their fauna , zoos get together to create breeding recommendation for each mintage . But sometimes the animals have their own plans . Despite being on contraceptives , a Los Angeles Zoo hippo fork up a surprise infant on Halloween .
When the zoos that comprise theAssociation of Zoos and Aquariumsget together to assess the breeding potentiality of each species – either through a “ Species Survival Plan ” or a “ Taxon Advisory Group ” – they do so with the intention of maintain maximum genetic multifariousness from within a little population , normally the animals within the North American zoological garden that constitute the AZA . That ’s why animals are transferred so often between menagerie . A baby is deliver , grows to engender eld , and is moved to a zoo where he or she might breed with their intended . It ’s like an arranged marriage , but for animals .
When animals are n’t given breed passport – perhaps their factor are already sufficiently correspond within the population – they can be housed in single - sex group . If being put up in a exclusive sex group is n’t appropriate , perhaps because of the nuances of the animals ’ societal ecology , then animals in sundry - sex enclosures might be give contraceptive drug . That was the example for 10 - year - old distaff hippopotamus Mara , who was housed at theLos Angeles Zoowith a 3 - year - old male , Adhama .
Unlike the human version of the drugs , which wreak bypreventing ovulationin the first place , wildlife contraceptives are often immunocontraceptive vaccines ( we were unable to verify this with the LA Zoo as of this penning , but it ’s likely that this was the sort of parturition control the hippo was on ) . That intend they prevent pregnancy by tricking the female person ’s own resistant system into tie antibody onto her own testicle . That foreclose any sperm from doing the same , though she still ovulates as usual .
For more on wildlife contraception , see this musical composition I write atBBC Future :
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140514-odd-tale-of-the-hollywood-bison
But wildlife contraceptive method is a tricky clientele , and it does n’t always knead the way it should . ( Just as for humans , even with contraceptive method , there is always the hypothesis of unplanned pregnancy . ) The zoo ’s hippo steward suspected that Mara might be pregnant despite her prophylactic inoculation program , because thanks to their careful monitoring , they observe an unusual weight increase .
And so it was that on Friday afternoon , October 31 , Mara go into childbed while on exhibit – an unbelievable treat for zoo - goers . Two and a half hours later , she delivered a good for you young sura . give way the eight months in which hippos gestate , the steward and vets estimated – if their hunch was correct – a mid - November birthing . They were only off by a duet weeks . Trick or treat , indeed .
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