Four pluriparous Korean black goat does were superovulated with FSH and mated with fertile bucks. Anesthetized animals were placed in lateral recumbency, then size 8 Foley catheter was inserted into the uterus through the cervix under the vaginal speculum and the balloon was inflated to fix the catheter in the uterine body. The opposite end of the catheter was connected to a 3-way and a flushing medium was infused into the uterus. Modified Dubecco’s PBS with 1% FBS was used as the flushing medium. Four goats were allocated in two groups depending on the type of medium infusion into uterus. Injection group; the flushing medium was injected into uterus and the infused medium was collected by to-and-fro method using a syringe. Gravity-flow group; the flushing medium was allowed to enter the uterus by gravity flow by lifting the medium bottle and drained out of the uterus into a collecting tube. All four goats had catheter inserted through the cervix and uteri flushed successfully. The volume (recovery rate) of recovered medium varied considerably from 87 ml/200 ml (43.5%) to 148 ml/160 ml (92.5%). Nine embryos/ova in total were recovered from Gravity-flow group goats. Although the embryo recovery rate was low, the possibility of a transcervical embryo recovery in Korean black goat had been proven in this preliminary experiment.
Four estrus-induced Himalayan tahrs (Hemitragus jemlahicus) were inseminated with frozen-thawed semen by laparoscopic or transcervical insemination techniques with no regard to the site of ovulation in non-breeding season. In June and July, 2009, estrus was synchronized by Eazi-Breed (Controlled internal drug release; Pfizer Animal Health, New Zealand) insertion for 16 days and PG 600 (PMSG 400IU, hCG 200 IU; Intervet, Netherlands) injection (IM) a day before removing . Forty eight hours later, laparoscopic or transcervical insemination was done to each of two tahrs under anesthetic condition inducted by ketamine (1.5 mg/kg) and medetomidine (0.09 mg/kg). For examination of estradiol and progesterone, blood was collected right before insertion, PG 600 injection, removal and insemination. Estradiol levels of four tahrs (No. 1, 2, 3, 4) before insertion and insemination were 13.3, 8.8, 14.3, 12 pg/ml and 23.5, 25.5, 21.1, 11.5 pg/ml, respectively. Progesterone levels of four tahrs (No. 1, 2, 3, 4) before insertion and insemination were 1.8, 0.05, 0.63, 0.61 ng/ml and 1.03, 0.37, 1.48, 2.12 ng/ml. Except for No. 4 tahr, cervices showed cervical mucus and opened enough to penetrate with embryo transfer gun sheet usually used for cows. Therefore, No.4 was laparoscopically inseminated together with No. 1. In conclusion, none of four Himalayan tahrs was pregnant. However, we proved that estrus could be induced by CIDR and PG 600 injection in non-breeding season, and laparoscopic or transcervical insemination with frozen-thawed semen could be one of assisted reproductive techniques in Himalayan Tahr.