The #1 source for news about monkeys and apes

[josh.greenman AT gmail.com]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/16/content_11195767.htm

Artificial insemination could help Chinese chimp who never monkeyed around 

    NANCHANG, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Zoologists in eastern China have their 
fingers crossed that artificial insemination will help a 30-year-old 
chimpanzee become pregnant. 

    The animal, Zhuangzhuang ("strong") underwent fertilization procedures at 
Nanchang Zoo in Jiangxi Province Wednesday night, said Liu Daoqiang, a zoo 
official. 

    The chimp is at least 30, but having lived at the zoo for 22 years, she 
never mated. Chimps are classified as an endangered species in China. 

    The procedure was performed by doctors from the No. 1 Hospital affiliated 
to Nanchang University. "We observed that she was ovulating," said Wang 
Gongxian, vice president of the hospital. 

    The operation lasted 30 minutes. Doctors won't know for 20 days whether 
it was effective. "If she becomes pregnant, she will be a mother before the 
end of this year," said Wang. 

    The sperm was collected from a 9-year-old chimpanzee at Changchun Zoo in 
northeastern Jilin Province in mid-March and kept in a nitrogen tank at minus 
196 degrees Celsius, zoo workers said. 

    "The operation was quite successful, but given Zhuangzhuang's advanced 
age, she might not get pregnant," said Huang Xiaojin, head of the hospital's 
reproduction department. "If this attempt fails, we might try again shortly." 

    In January, a female chimp at Changchun Zoo underwent three artificial 
inseminations in January, but all failed, Huang said.