It is likely that, among other strategies, future conservation efforts of rhinoceros will resort to ARTs ( 5). Moreover, even the less endangered taxon-the southern white rhinoceros (SWR, Ceratotherium simum simum, Burchell, 1817)-while “only” near threatened in the wild ( 12), does not have self-sustainable captive populations ( 13). In particular, black, Sumatran, and Javan rhinoceros are critically endangered-with the latter two species reduced to small (>80 individuals and 46–66 individuals, respectively) dwindling populations ( 10, 11). It should be noted, however, that the entire Rhinocerotidae family, consisting of five extant species-white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis, Linnaeus, 1758), Sumatran rhinoceros ( Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, Fischer, 1814), Javan rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros sondaicus, Desmarest, 1822), and the greater one-horned rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros unicornis, Linnaeus, 1758)-is currently under severe threat due to habitat loss and persistent poaching ( 9). The NWR is a subspecies of the white rhino ( Ceratotherium simum, Burchell, 1817) of which only two females remain ( 8), and whose fate is irremediably tied to the recovery and manipulation of the existing biomaterials. Here, we propose a frame for the ethical analysis of ART procedures in conservation using the Ethical Matrix (EM), and we discuss a case study based on ovum pick-ups (OPUs) performed for the current conservation efforts of the northern white rhinoceros (NWR, Ceratotherium simum cottoni, Lydekker, 1908). The ethical assessment of the involved procedures is an integral and crucial part of the ethical assessment of conservation projects ( 7). Moreover, ART applications may have ethically relevant consequences-on conservation projects, on the people involved or otherwise affected, and on the animals on which they are performed-that should be carefully discussed. Like any other technology capable of redefining the boundaries of extinction ( 6), ARTs question the very idea of conservation we want to pursue and the values it needs to convey. However, the application of ARTs in biodiversity conservation opens up new ethical scenarios that have not yet been fully explored. More elaborate and costly techniques, advanced assisted reproduction technologies (aARTs) not commonly employed on livestock and laboratory animals, may even spark hope for the survival of taxa that are functionally extinct or at the verge of extinction ( 4, 5). Originally applied mainly on domestic and lab animals, ARTs have found usage also in conservation breeding programs, where they can enhance the genetic management of populations, and increase the number of offspring per generation. This study presents a frame for the ethical analysis of the application of ART procedures in conservation based on the Ethical Matrix (EM), and discusses a specific case study-ovum pick-up (OPU) procedures performed in the current conservation efforts for the northern white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum cottoni)-providing a template for the assessment of ART procedures in projects involving other endangered species.Īssisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) offer increasingly important opportunities for biodiversity conservation ( 1– 3). However, their application in wildlife conservation opens up new ethical scenarios that have not yet been fully explored. Originally applied on domestic and lab animals, assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) have also found application in conservation breeding programs, where they can make the genetic management of populations more efficient, and increase the number of individuals per generation. 8Kenya Wildlife Service, Nairobi, Kenya.7Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy, Nanyuki, Kenya.6ZOO Dvůr Králové, Dvůr Králové nad Labem, Czechia.5Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Legnaro, Italy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |