back to article World's first AI birth achieved using frozen rhino sperm

An alliance of Eastern-European boffins has achieved what they describe as a "landmark technique for AI". The I in this case, however, stands not for Intelligence but Insemination, and the breakthrough is the the world's first live birth achieved using frozen rhinoceros semen. Now that's what we call a (possibly literally) …

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  1. oxo
    Happy

    :O

    I'm thinking that I'd not want to be the one tasked with collecting the sperm..

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    A little reading matter to assist you sir ?

    "made use of "semen collected from a 35-36 year-old Southern white rhinoceros" resident in the UK's Colchester Zoo some years previously, which had been frozen and stored"

    One assumes it's the semen, not the rhino that's been frozen ;o)

    Can I nominate Rebecca Loos to assist as I believe she has the requisite skills on her ...errm .. CV.

  3. Dave

    Errrr...

    I know Rhinos are horny creatures, but I'm wondering not so much about who would collect the semen but how they'd go about collecting it. I'm also wondering whether I really want to know.

    I almost picked the coat icon but I'm not sure I'd want to find out what's in the pockets.

  4. Markie Dussard
    Boffin

    @Dave

    Bend your imagination to the idea that bull semen is routinely collected for artificial insemination in agriculture, and then extrapolate using the concept that a rhino is just a bigger, stronger bull.

    Hey presto, the thinking is complete and the mental energy required wasn't all that great after all.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    IT Angle

    getting a giggle just thinking about it

    I knew there was such thing as bovine artificial insemination but, not coming from an agricultural background, didn't really understand how it was done. Then one evening I saw, of all things, a comedy special with Buddy Hackett wherein he related a story about artificially inseminating a cow (from both ends of the process). I nearly peed myself from laughing so hard.

  6. Pyros

    re:@Dave

    Not if you've seen a live showing of "milking" thoroughbreds before... *shudders*

  7. MadonnaC
    Paris Hilton

    Volunteers

    I'm sure there's some segment of the population where someone could produce a double profit - selling the sperm, and the video of the action

    Paris: Because there's probably already a video out there

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I seem to recall

    When I was at uni, the first thing that we were told in AI lectures was "never talk to agrics about AI, just don't."

  9. Daniel B.
    Joke

    You tricked me!

    And I was wondering how Artificial Intelligence could be related with bull sperm...

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