'Sexing' to increase vulture population

Surojit Mahalanobis / TNN / Jul 27, 2005, 22:43 IST

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A DNA-based technique was used to carry out "sexing" of a white-backed vulture in the laboratory by standard manual massage technique.

NEW DELHI: Endangered vulture will soon grow in numbers in Indian forests. Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has developed a standard method to determine fertility status of the nature's formidable scavengers.
The finding will ensure regular preservation of vulture genes and semens in frozen condition in the CCMB's Laboratory for Culture of Endangered Species for breeding purposes.
According to member-secretary of Central Zoo Authority (CZA) BR Sharma, "The CCMB has also carried out certain sexing methods of vultures which will stop the bird from going extinct in near future."
The standard has been accepted for publication in the famous reproductive biology journal Biology of Reproduction. The CCMB deputy director and Scientist S Shivaji said in a mail, "The study so far is the first in the world. We have developed a method for evaluation of the semen of vultures to establish their fertility status."

The project is being funded by the CZA and department of biotechnology.
A DNA-based technique was used to carry out "sexing" of a white-backed vulture in the laboratory by standard manual massage technique for the collection of semen of the vultures. "The technique requires about four people to restrain the bird and massage it", wrote Shivaji, "evaluation of semen will tell us the physiological status of the bird with respect to its fertility. Our work is confined to the Indian white-backed vulture."

The CCMB will complete the vulture project by the end of 2007. Its genome bank, known as Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) set up to preserve frozen genes, semens and other genetic material of endangered species has already stored genetic material of about 40 species.
LaCONES has been promoted by the CZA in collaboration with departments of science and technology and biotechnology, Andhra Pradesh departnment of forests and wildlife and Central Scientific and Industrial Research as a national programme for biotechnological intervention in issues. relating to fauna and birds.
The CCMB is now working on projectwise targets for indirect ovulation and artificial insemination of the species, to stop them from going extinct, said CZA scientists.

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