First Birth of Cheetah Cubs from In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer

Abstract

Approximately 30% of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums cheetah population (~350 total animals) is unlikely to breed naturally due to advanced age, health, or behavioral issues. Aging cheetah females (≥9 y old) are unlikely to become pregnant via natural breeding if they are nulliparous. We previously demonstrated that oocytes recovered from aged females were of similar quality compared with those recovered from younger females (2–8 y old). We hypothesize that transfer of 4–8 cell embryos produced by in vitro fertilization with oocytes from old donors could result in pregnancy after transfer into younger recipients. Female cheetahs (n = 3 aging donors and n = 3 young recipients) received 300 IU equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG) and 3000 IU Luteinizing Hormone (LH) while fecal metabolites of estrogens and progestogens were closely monitored. At 28 h post-LH injection, oocytes were aspirated laparoscopically from donors and inseminated in vitro with cryopreserved sperm. After 48 h of in vitro culture, resulting embryos (4–8 cells) were transferred into the oviducts of recipient females. Pregnancy was confirmed in one recipient via ultrasound 32 days after transfer and by radiograph 62 days after transfer. Two cubs were born naturally after 90 days of gestation, representing the first cheetah births resulting from transfer of embryos produced in vitro.