The world's first jaguar born by artificial insemination has died, with reports suggesting it may have been attacked and eaten by its mother. The cub was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 104 days after her mother, Bianca, was inseminated. The cub was "born healthy" at the environmental organisation Mata Ciliar in Jundiaí, but unfortunately, the newborn animal died after two days, with reports suggesting Bianca ate the baby.
Despite the death of the cub, scientists have shown they can successfully artificially inseminate jaguars, the "last of the seven big cat species to be produced by AI," according to Lindsey Vansandt, a researcher for the Centre for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
Bianca was one of five jaguars inseminated using laparoscopic AI methods. After the viable cub was born, Bianca showed excellent maternal care. However, two days after the birth, the cub disappeared from the den, with researchers assuming it was consumed.
The veterinary team could not conduct a necropsy because the baby had already been eaten. The jaguar is considered near threatened by the World Wildlife Fund, with an estimated 15,000 of the species left in the wild.
Despite the death of the cub, scientists have shown they can successfully artificially inseminate jaguars, the "last of the seven big cat species to be produced by AI," according to Lindsey Vansandt, a researcher for the Centre for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
Bianca was one of five jaguars inseminated using laparoscopic AI methods. After the viable cub was born, Bianca showed excellent maternal care. However, two days after the birth, the cub disappeared from the den, with researchers assuming it was consumed.
The veterinary team could not conduct a necropsy because the baby had already been eaten. The jaguar is considered near threatened by the World Wildlife Fund, with an estimated 15,000 of the species left in the wild.
