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CNN Live Sunday

Dolphins Born to Artificially Inseminated Mothers

Aired July 29, 2001 - 17:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: For some time now scientists have helped with the spread of domesticated animals such as horses and cows using artificial insemination. Now, though, thanks to some scientific breakthroughs, this procedure is being used on animals in the wild, including dolphins.

CNN's Mike Chinoy has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These baby dolphins, frisking with their mothers in Hong Kong's Ocean Park Aquarium, owe their existence as much to science as to nature. They were artificially conceived, the first time that's happened anywhere in the world; a scientific breakthrough that could help protect a much-loved creature.

FIONA BROOK, HK POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY: They're a very appealing animal. They're intelligent, they're strong, they're supremely well- designed for the habitat that they live in. They give us a great deal, I think. And they can teach us; they can teach us so much.

CHINOY (on camera): Dolphins reproduce easily in captivity, but with a limited number in places like this, there's long been a danger of inbreeding and genetically weaker offspring. Until now, the only solution has been to transport dolphins for mating from other aquariums, an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous process, or else capture new ones in the wild.

(voice-over): But scientist Fiona Brook at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University has changed all that. After years of research, she pioneered a new technique, using ultrasound to accurately predict ovulation in dolphins, making artificial insemination possible.

SUZANNE GENDRON, OCEAN PARK ZOO DIRECTOR: This breakthrough is very important, because what it allows us to do is have a global gene pool for our animals, so we'll be able to take semen from another facility, from other countries and bring it to expand our gene pool, and use our males' semen in other countries. So that will keep the population viable and strong for many, many years to come.

CHINOY: But using ultrasound on dolphins is no simple task, requiring long hours to create a bond between dolphin and humans so the treatment can be carried out. Even then, it isn't easy. BROOK: The main challenge was being able to actually see the ovaries in these animals. Some of them are quite big. Even these smaller dunkers (ph) are 120 to 180 kilograms. You know, that's a big patient to look at. So a lot of practice before, you know, we realized what we were looking at and what we were seeing.

CHINOY: In late May this year, all the hard work paid off: Two calves, one male, one female, were born to separate mothers. Everyone is doing well.

GENDRON: Look at them! They're marvelously normal and healthy. They're very, very, very good. They've nursed within hours after they were born. Their births were uncomplicated. And they've been growing and playing really well.

CHINOY: These two were conceived using fresh sperm. The next step, using frozen semen to make Angel here pregnant. If that works, and scientists are confident it will, the stage will be set for easy breeding of dolphins in captivity anywhere in the world.

Mike Chinoy, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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