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The preovulatory, Graafian follicle measures an exceptional 10–12 cm in diameter, which is much larger than in other rhinoceros species. Follicles grow in waves, from which the dominant, preovulatory follicle develops. Like all other rhinoceros species, the GOH rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros unicornis) is mono-ovulatory. The mean estrous cycle length of the greater one-horned (GOH) rhinoceros is 43 ± 6 d ( 1, 2). Frequent use of hCG as an ovulation inducer might help to achieve pregnancies in genetically important but an-ovulatory GOH rhinoceroses. Our results suggest that hCG and GnRH analog facilitate an easily applicable treatment to induce ovulation in females with behavioral but at times an-ovulatory estrous. When ovulation induction by hCG/GnRH injection failed, estrogen and pregnane concentrations were significantly lower compared to ovulatory estrous ( P < 0.001). Thirty-six percent of all treatments ( n = 4/11) failed to induce ovulation. Ovulation occurred when fecal estrogen concentration increased before and pregnane concentration after induction. As a result, 75% of the hCG ( n = 6/8) and 33% of GnRH ( n = 1/3) inductions resulted in ovulation. Upon ultrasound diagnosis of a preovulatory follicle hCG or GnRH were injected to induce ovulation ( n = 11). Here, we used hCG and GnRH analog histrelin to induce ovulation in an-ovulatory GOH rhinoceros.
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Thus, mature, an-ovulatory GOH rhinoceros represent a challenge for captive breeding programs and warrant for means of reliable ovulation induction. At the same time, early and regular captive breeding is of high importance in female GOH rhinoceros due to their high prevalence to develop genital tract tumors with consequent cessation of reproduction.
No primary cause for these lesions was found in biopsies taken in 20, although a severe infiltrate of numerous eosinophils was observed in the latter.
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Treatment with various topical, intralesional, and systemic antibiotics and glucocorticosteroids was largely ineffective, as were repeated dewormings. Periodic improvement was noted, especially in winter, but overall the condition had deteriorated over the years. A captive female square-lipped rhinoceros born in 1993 had been showing intermittent signs of bilateral conjunctivitis and conjunctival proliferation since 1998.