Create pandas from frozen sperm

Chinese officials report the world's first panda made from frozen sperm was born in the country.

With the birth of the panda last Thursday at the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center (southwest of Sichuan Province), the scientists will end dependence on the few males in China. in creating new panda. They can even get panda sperm from other parts of the world like the US and Mexico to diversify supplies.

Scientists say this is the first time a panda has been successfully born thanks to frozen sperm.

" We tried many times before but failed ," said Huang Yan, a technical expert with the big panda research center Wolong.

This is the 10th panda born at the Wolong Panda Research Center. You You, his mother, gave birth successfully 3 times. The gender of the newborn panda is unclear, so it has not been named.

China Central Television broadcast images of pandas at Wolong Large Panda Research Center.(Photo: AP)

Due to the small number of pandas in China, inbreeding tends to increase in recent years. This situation can cause birth defects that reduce panda health. The method of artificial insemination with frozen sperm will prevent their inbreeding.

According to Yan, scientists preserve panda sperm at temperatures below minus due to liquid nitrogen. However, only 20-30% of sperm survived before . Yan and his colleagues improved the thawing technique, so the sperm survival rate increased to 80%.

Artificial insemination was carried out in March this year. It was discovered that You You conceived in June after an ultrasound examination.

" Sperm has been preserved for several years ", Yan revealed.

Matthew Durnin, scientific director of the Nature Conservancy in the Asia-Pacific region and North Asia, said China's achievements are significant in its efforts to protect and increase the number of pandas. world.