SLIDE 27
(Nancy Pratt)
So
this was the moment of truth, and it was really exciting. I had
never inseminated an elephant before, obviously, and I think I
had to go to the restroom about six time before we got to this
point because I was so nervous. But it was really exciting.
And afterwards - Oh, I should tell you this process took about
2 1/2 hours, and Shanthi stood perfectly still this whole time.
She was wonderful. And that's a big part in the success of this
project is that Shanthi is an incredible elephant , and she is
managed by some incredible people. She seemed fine just after
the procedure, in fact she wouldn't leave. After it was over
we opened the doors, and she was free to go outside, and she wouldn't
leave. In fact, she turned around, and it was interesting. Some
drops of sperm had fallen on the floor, and she was just fascinated
by this stuff. She kept touching it with her trunk, and she was
rumbling, and her ears were flapping. She was very interested.
And we think that was a good sign - that she was getting some
olfactory cues from this stuff, and it might be a little extra
stimulation for her.