New Reproductive Health Device for Chimps
By Kat West
A team of students at Georgia Tech worked with Project Chimps to develop a unique device. The device would collect and store chimp semen samples to help with reproductive health. Why are these samples important for sanctuaries? What makes this device so innovative? Read on to find out.
Male Chimps Reproductive Health
In sanctuaries, male chimps are given vasectomies and female chimps are put on birth control. This helps to prevent births that would crowd sanctuaries. Currently the system isn’t perfect though, especially for the males.
Often, vasectomies in chimps regrow and the male chimp produces fertile semen again. As a result, samples need to be analyzed by a vet to determine if the vasectomy has failed. Currently, methods for checking vasectomies involve anesthesia or don’t cause enough arousal to get accurate samples. Accuracy is obviously important, lack of arousal can create semen without sperm, even though sperm may be present. Additionally, Ryan, from Georgia Tech, points out that invasive methods and anesthesia are dangerous for chimps. Some chimps may never wake up as sadly happened to Alex last year.
Luckily, Ryan along with Sebastian, Noriyuki, Adith and Zain have come up with a solution!
The Team
These biomedical engineering students are graduating, and this device is their final project. Adith explains that they got involved when a mentor they were working with from Emory University recognized Project Chimps as a place where students had a unique opportunity. They would be able to get experience producing a device for veterinary use.
Kate Stiles, Project Chimps’ former Behavior Coordinator, recognized the need for semen sampling in the global population of 1,400 captive male chimps. Therefore, she proposed the idea of creating a non-invasive collection device and the team was excited to take this unique opportunity. And the ApeScape was born.
The Device
The team’s design offers advantages to any institution that needs to monitor chimps’ reproductive health. Their device mimics a receptive female chimp’s vagina in color, texture, and dimensions. Additionally, it will come with a lining that has pheromones to give it an arousing smell.. It will both collect and store a sample for analysis. All this comes in a light weight, relatively inexpensive device that can be mass produced for distribution.
Final Thoughts
The team visited Project Chimps before beginning their project. As a result, Adith says they all feel a real connection from being there and they really want this project to succeed. Noriyuki points out that this isn’t only good for chimps and caregivers but also a unique experience for the design team. Their diverse skills have been put to work solving an animal care need and the results are very exciting.
The students presented their device at the Capstone Design Expo at Georgia Tech in December 2021.
The behavior team is currently working with several chimps to learn to interact with the device to provide a sample. Successfully collecting samples from males who are older or who have other health concerns could help limit the need to sedate them just to check their vasectomies, which could ultimately prevent additional deaths related from anesthesia complications.
Help the reproductive care of our chimps and donate today to support veterinary and behavioral programs!
