After two years of trying, scientists at the Yerkes Regional Primate Center have managed to get a chimpanzee pregnant. And their success, accomplished with sperm that had been frozen, has made it possible for the center to create the world’s first chimpanzee sperm bank. Announced in October, the new bank will enable scientists to systematically preserve the gene pool of the U.S. chimp population—a population that has not received an infusion of new blood since the importation of chimps was banned in The banl may also see use in meeting the growing demand for chimpanzees as a research animal. Although chimps reproduce readily in captivity, Kenneth G. Gould, Yerkes chief of reproductive biology, says he can foresee the day when demand for chimps will outstrip the supply, since they are the only animals that can be infected with the HIV virus.
The biggest scientific hurdle in creating the sperm bank,...
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