Fertility experts help young pandas find love

While they have created over 10,000 babies for thousands of Australian parents, leading fertility experts at Repromed are also using their experience and technology to help would-be parents in the animal kingdom.

Headed by Deputy Scientific Director Dr Hassan Bakos, Repromed’s human reproductive specialists have been working with Adelaide Zoo vets to determine when the young female Giant Panda Funi is about to ovulate and will be receptive to her male partner Wang Wang.

Funi will be fertile for only one to two days, so identifying exactly when mating should take place is critical, Adelaide Zoo vet David McLelland said.

“The zoo recognised Repromed’s expertise and technology in the area of human reproduction and wanted to see how this could be used with our pandas.’’

Taking daily urine samples from Funi will determine exactly when she is about to ovulate, as timing is so critical.

“With no veterinary endocrine lab in Adelaide the partnership has allowed us to track Funi’s oestrogen levels, which is a vital element of an integrated monitoring program to ensure we determine the exact time of ovulation,” Dr. McLelland said.

“Repromed’s proximity to Adelaide Zoo and fast turnaround are essential in such a time critical process.”

This is not the first time Repromed has worked with Zoos SA vets to assist in animal reproduction, and both parties see future scope for collaboration.

“We have been able to track the oestrogen levels daily using an immunoassay system. This will increase to twice daily just before ovulation, as it is when this hormone peaks that it will assist in predicting Funi’s specific ovulating window,” Dr Hassan Bakos said.

Dr Bakos said while work with endangered animals like pandas is not Repromed’s core focus, his team members were happy to donate their time and expertise to these collaborative and environmentally beneficial projects.

ISSUED BY HUGHES PUBLIC RELATIONS:
Catherine Bauer on 8412 4100 or catherine@hughespr.com.au