ELECTROEJACULATION AND SEMEN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CAPTIVE HOKKAIDO BROWN BEAR (URSUS-ARCTOS YESOENSIS)

An electroejaculation technique was applied to the Hokkaido brown bear (Usus arctos yesoensis) for semen collection and characterization of their seminal traits. Ten captive sexually mature bears were anestheti zed and subjected to 21 electroejaculation trials during their mating season in 1995 and 1996. Spermic electroejaculates were recovered from 6 of the 10 bears (14 of 21 trials). The semen was characterized by s erous fluid of semitransparent white color and a neutral pH. The mean values of ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, percentage of sperm m otility, percentage of live spermatozoa, and percentage of pleiomorphi c forms were 2.7 ml, 471.6 x 10(6) cells/ml, 80.2%, 89.7% and 21.8%, r espectively. Although there was considerable variation among the semin al traits of the individual bears, the electroejaculation technique wa s effective in obtaining ejaculates from captive bears.