Japanese zoos put chimps on birth control to keep breeds pure

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http://www.asahi.com/english/national/K2002080100367.html

 

Zoos put chimps on birth control to keep breeds pure

 

The Asahi Shimbun

 

Zoos are putting chimpanzees on the pill to stop them from giving birth to

mixed breed chimpanzees.

 

Chimpanzees are classified into four subspecies according to their

habitats-East African, West African, Central African and Nigerian. They are

not migratory animals and do not interbreed under natural circumstances.

 

But until recently, Japanese zoos and research facilities have let their

chimps breed randomly, unaware of what subspecies their chimpanzees belong

to. When they tried to obtain chimps from their counterparts in Western

nations, they were turned down for that reason. Western facilities began

distinguishing chimpanzee subspecies about a decade ago and refuse to do

business with zoos and research centers that do not follow suit.

 

To remedy the situation, a group of experts including Koichiro Yoshihara, a

chimpanzee breeder at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo and Kenichi Shinoda, an

associate professor of physical anthropology at Saga Medical School,

examined the DNA of chimpanzees at 56 facilities nationwide.

 

A total sample of 373 chimpanzees consisted of 243 West African, four

Central African, 13 East African chimpanzees and 65 that were not clearly

identified. The rest-48 chimpanzees-were crossbreeds, including some that

were mixtures of three subspecies.

 

While some researchers say crossbreeding is not harmful unless the animals

return to the wild, Yoshihara disagrees.

 

``We need to control the population of crossbreeds, and at the same time

prevent incest from occurring. But that would reduce the chances of

acceptable mating, which may cause the steadily increasing chimpanzee

population in Japan to decline drastically,'' he said.

 

The experts recommended that each zoo counter crossbreeding by keeping only

one subspecies and devising its breeding plan. Birth-control was recommended

for crossbred chimps, as well as separate habitats for each subspecies to

prevent interbreeding.

 

At Tama Zoological Garden, seven out of the zoo's 18 chimpanzees are

mixed-breed. Nine are West African and two are Central African.

 

Kenta, an alpha male chimpanzee that came from another zoo, turned out to be

a mix between Central and East African. He already underwent a vasectomy,

according to a zoo official.

 

Four female chimps, including Peko, 40, and her daughter Koko, 17, have also

been identified as crossbreeds, who are now on birth-control

pills.(IHT/Asahi: August 1,2002)

 

(08/01)