By NNN-Bernama,
Chennai (India) : Indian veterinary scientists have performed vasectomies on crocodiles from a South Indian zoo to control over breeding of the reptiles, considered a rare surgery in the world.
Three experts from the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Tanuvas) spent nearly two hours to conduct the delicate surgery on each male crocodile from Chennai’s Vandalur Zoo last month.
The university’s vice-chancellor Dr P.Thangaraju said it was a major breakthrough for the Indian scientists as it was the first vasectomy or sulcoplasty surgery performed on crocodiles.
“It is the first of its kind. We have done (vasectomies) on four crocodiles and 18 lions so far, to avoid over breeding in the zoo,” Dr Thangaraju told Bernama.
Vandalur Zoo authorities requested the institute, established in 1903, to do the vasectomy as they were burdened with rising expenditure to maintain the growing population of crocodiles and lions.
The surgeries were done in accordance with the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972, which allows for suitable population control measures to be taken by the zoo.
“We have done the vasectomy on hippopotamus and lions before but this was the first time we did it on mugger crocodiles and it was a risky surgery. Each crocodile weighs about 250 to 300 kg,” said Dr R. Suresh Kumar, head of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology of Madras Veterinary College, a constituent college of Tanuvas.
Most lions from Vandalur Zoo that underwent surgery were rehabilitated or rescued from captors or circus companies and the surgical intervention was needed as their pedigree were not known, and the big cats were unsuitable for breeding, he added.
Doctors are monitoring the crocodiles’ progress as they could regain their reproductive ability, like humans, after some time.
“In some cases the male crocodiles can regain their regeneration capacity and become fertile in about six months or a year. We have to study their regenerative growth rate,” said Dr Thangaraju.
The animals would continue a normal sex life after the vasectomy but their reproductive ability are restrained.