Assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs), such as artificial insemination, can help circumvent problems, such as mate incompatibility, that prevent breeding. These technologies also are the way of the future as we move toward shipping frozen gametes and embryos around the world rather than transporting live animals.
Assisted reproduction also encompasses simple strategies used by SEZARC, such as the use of daily oral progestin to sustain pregnancies or fecal hormone analysis to monitor estrous cycles. However, it is more often associated with complex strategies, such as estrus synchronization, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer, etc. There is no doubt that captive management of non-domestic animals in a zoological setting can be enhanced by assisted reproduction, and SEZARC recognizes that it is critical for small population management that genetic representation is obtained from as many individuals as possible.