[Columbia, SC] - Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, in partnership with the Queensland government, has funded research that has successfully bred koalas in Australia through artificial insemination. Australia’s iconic koala is the first species to benefit from this innovative breeding program that overcomes distance challenges by chilling koala semen for up to 72 hours so it can be transported around the globe.

“The technique gives zoos a new source of genetic material collected either from other zoos or wild populations, which is a great leap forward in safeguarding the gene pool of koalas and potentially other species,” said Queensland Premier and Minister for Trade Peter Beattie. “This is excellent news for small koala populations overseas because we can get the semen to anywhere in the world within 72 hours.”

As a result of the new technology, vital genetic diversity will be restored to overseas captive koala populations, with the specimens first undergoing genetic profiling and testing for disease prior to artificial insemination. “It should also limit the need to send live koalas around the world in the future, putting an end to long-distance transport challenges,” Mr. Beattie said.

Riverbanks will work with Queensland to use this innovation in its koala management program. Planning is now underway for the chilled semen program to start at Riverbanks next year when the breeding cycle begins in March 2008. The precise timing will depend on when Riverbanks’ two female koalas Lottie and Killarney come into oestrous and the required permits for the transport of semen are granted by the Australian and United States authorities.

The new technology has been developed as part of the Koala Enhanced Genetic Exchange Program (KEGEP), a three-year collaboration between The University of Queensland, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, the Queensland Government Environmental Protection Agency and the Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

KEGEP was originally funded by the Queensland Government (AUS$60,000) and Riverbanks (AUS$50,000) with later funding coming in from a Commonwealth Government Australian Research Council Linkage grant.

The Linkage Grant project was a joint effort between KEGEP and industry partners from the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria - Queensland Branch (ARAZPA-Q) and the Royal Zoological Society of London.

ARAZPA-Q members Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Dreamworld assisted financially and gave access to their facilities and captive koalas for semen sampling.

Riverbanks originally received its koalas as the result of a sister-state relationship established in 1999 between the states of South Carolina and Queensland, Australia.

“We always intended that our original gift of koalas would be a gift that ‘keeps on giving’ so we wanted to do everything we could to see koalas breeding successfully overseas,” said Mr. Beattie. “This research will ensure that goal is met.”