We Can Freeze Human Reproductive Cells. Can We Do the Same for Red Wolves?
From Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute:
For decades, zoos and wildlife facilities have worked to bring the red wolf back from the brink of extinction. Today, nearly all remaining red wolves live in human care, making careful management of their genetic lineages critical to the species’ survival.
At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), biologist Dr. Jennifer Nagashima is helping develop new tools to preserve the species’ gene diversity. One of those tools is cryopreservation, where living reproductive cells are frozen at ultra-low temperatures for future use.
