Scientists Achieve Birth of Three Wild Goats Using IVF from Deceased Animals

In a significant advancement for wildlife conservation, scientists have successfully used in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to bring three Iberian wild goats into the world, using genetic material from animals that had already died. This pioneering technique, developed by a team from Spain's National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA) and the CSIC research center, opens new avenues for preserving endangered subspecies.

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It is important that the sperm is collected in the first eight hours after the animal's death so that it maintains its fertilizing capacity.

The researchers extracted ovules and sperm from the ovaries and testicles of deceased wild goats found in hunting reserves in Madrid and Málaga. The sperm was then cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen at temperatures near -200 degrees Celsius to maintain its fertilizing capacity. According to INIA-CSIC researcher Julián Santiago Moreno, it is crucial to collect sperm within eight hours of an animal's death for optimal results.

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These banks could be used to recover ecotypes in case of natural disasters or infectious outbreaks. Furthermore, we could apply the technique to conserve other endangered mountain ungulates.

Following fertilization, the resulting zygotes were cultured in a controlled environment until they reached the blastocyst stage. These embryos were then cryopreserved before being transferred to five surrogate female goats. While two of the three resulting kids, both males, are in excellent health, the third unfortunately died shortly after birth due to the surrogate mother's lack of colostrum. This achievement, however, represents a vital tool for preventing the extinction of vulnerable wild goat populations, which are susceptible to disease, inbreeding, and environmental disasters.

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Two of the three offspring, both males, are in perfect health and continue their development normally. The third died after birth due to lack of colostrum - first secretion of the mammary gland - from the surrogate mother.