Worldwide call for sperm to save near-extinct big cats

Wanted: as many samples of sperm from three types of big cats as possible.

London Zoo is creating a sperm bank to save the Amur (or Siberian) tiger, Amur leopard and Sumatran tiger and is putting out a worldwide call for donations.

The intention is to freeze the sperm and have it ready for zoos and others to use for artificial insemination as the species near extinction.

Estimates put the number of Amur leopards in the wild at just 30 and Amur tigers at 400. The World Wide Fund for Nature has put the number of Sumatran Tigers left in the wild at 400 to 500.

It is believed there are as many as 400 to 500 Amur tigers, about 200 Amur leopards and 400 to 500 Sumatran tigers in captivity.

The sperm bank is the first of its kind to be set up by London Zoo.

"The situation for big cats is critical and we need to act now to safeguard them for the future," said Sarah Christie, the Zoological Society of London's big-cat expert.

"The zoo is working out in the field to protect these animals in their natural habitat, but given the small number of Amur leopards, Amur tigers and Sumatran tigers left in the world, we need to do all we can to ensure the continued survival of these magnificent animals."

Some samples have already been taken at London Zoo, which employs a technician to collect sperm. "It's a job not many people would fancy," a society spokeswoman conceded.

The zoo has a male and female Amur leopard and Sumatran tigers but no Amur tigers.

The Amur tiger is one of the largest and heaviest subspecies of tiger, with fine but long fur and a layer of fat to protect it against the cold.

An adult male can be over 3m long and weigh up to 360kg. The Amur (or Far Eastern) leopard is found near the Russian border with China.

The Sumatran tiger, one of the smallest subspecies of tiger, is found in Sumatra, Indonesia.

The London zoological society is working in Jambi Province, Sumatra, to put radio collars on Sumatran tigers and track them to find out more about tiger density in the area.

"We're doing everything we can," the society's spokeswoman said, "from captive breeding to the sperm bank to working out in the wild with them."

- INDEPENDENT