REPRODUCTION OF ANOA (BUBALUS (ANOA) DEPRESSICORNIS) MONITORED BY FECAL PROGESTIN ANALYSIS

Breeding of the anoa (Bubalus (Anoa) depressicornis) in zoological gar dens still remains unsatisfactory. Fecal gestagen analysis provides a non-invasive method to monitor reproduction events in this species Sam ples of four female anoas housed at the Zoologischer Garten Leipzig we re collected daily, extracted with methanol and analysed by EIA. As pr ogesterone is metabolised before excretion, antibodies against 4-pregn ene-3,20-dion-7CET: BSA; 5 beta-pregnane-3 alpha,20 alpha-diol-3Gluc:B SA; 5 beta-pregnane-3 alpha-ol-20-one-3HS:BSA and 4-pregnene-20 alpha- ol-3-one-3CMO:BSA plus the respective enzyme labels were tested to sel ect the most suitable assay to monitor the estrous cycle and pregnancy in anoas. A long term study over more than one year showed a cycle le ngth of 20 to 25 days with a 3 to 6 day follicular phase and a 15 to 2 0 day luteal phase. The progestin levels remained constant during preg nancy.