Scientists have successfully impregnated an elephant with frozen sperm for the first time in a move which offers hope to conservationists trying to protect the endangered animals as their natural habitats are destroyed.
Schoenbrunn Zoo in Vienna today released ultrasound scans showing the five-month-old foetus, with its trunk, tail, eyes and ears clearly visible. The scan was taken in April, when the foetus was 10 centimetres long, and the zoo says that it is now likely to be twice that size.
Elephants have been artificially inseminated using fresh or refrigerated sperm before, but as conservationists seek to expand the gene pool among elephants in captivity, frozen sperm has two major advantages. It can be transported further, and can be saved until the recipient animal is