Rhino in Budapest zoo pregnant again

Lulu, the first rhinoceros in the world to deliver a healthy offspring as a result of artificial insemination, is pregnant again, the Budapest Zoo has announced. Her new baby was also conceived through artificial insemination, but this time the sperm used to impregnate her had been deep-frozen. This is the first successful rhinoceros insemination in the world to use deep-frozen sperm.

The insemination was performed on June 14. Since pregnancy lasts for 16 to 17 months in rhinos, the baby is expected to be born at the end of 2008. If this happens without complications, another great step will be made in the artificial insemination of rhinos, since the method of using frozen sperm can contribute significantly to their survival.

27-year-old Lulu first gave birth on January 23. The baby, called Layla, weighs 500 kg by now.

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