Scientists try once more to inseminate Woodland Park Zoo elephant

SEATTLE — An ultrasound taken this morning revealed that Woodland Park Zoo's 26-year-old Asian elephant, Chai, is ovulating, prompting two German scientists to try once again to inseminate her artificially.

The scientists, Dr. Thomas Hildebrandt and Dr. Frank Goeritz, last tried to inseminate Chai in March. Zoo officials had to wait until June to learn that the procedure hadn't worked, and this is Chai's next cycle, said zoo spokeswoman Gigi Allianic. Elephants ovulate just three times a year.

Fresh bull elephant semen was rushed to Seattle from the Oregon Zoo in Portland and the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma today, and the tricky business was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. More semen was expected to be received Monday, and zoo officials scheduled a second attempt for Tuesday afternoon — if Chai is still ovulating.

"She has a good opportunity to breed again," Allianic said.

Chai has one calf, Hansa, who was born five years ago after Chai mated with a bull at a zoo in Missouri. Hansa was the first elephant born at the 100-year-old Woodland Park Zoo, which has no male elephants.

Elephants have a 10-foot-long reproductive tract that makes artificial insemination difficult. Inside it is a dime-sized vaginal opening, two false openings on either side, and the opening of the bladder.

Inseminating takes several hours of preparation, including an enema — one resulting in several wheelbarrows of dung — to provide a clearer ultrasound image.

Successful reproduction of captive elephants may be critical to the species' long-term survival. The Asian elephant is as an endangered species, largely because of habitat destruction.

According to the Woodland Park Zoo, there are about 35,000 Asian elephants left in the wild, mostly in Southeast Asia and China, and another 10,000 in captivity. Their life expectancy is 50 to 60 years.