Resumo:
White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is a wild mammal that is declining in
population due to deforestation and excessive hunting. A strategy to reverse this
situation is to establish a captive breeding program for later release in areas where
its extinction has occurred. In this sense, the objective of this study was to compare
reactions of jaws submitted to different anesthetic and electroejaculation protocols, to
describe the physical, morphological, morphometrics and functional characteristics of
sperm from jowls kept in captivity. Finally, use environmental education linking
research and education to raise awareness and conservation of these animals. In
total, 16 adult male peccaries from the UESC scientific breeding site were used. The
animals were divided into random groups, being evaluated two anesthetic protocols
(ketamine associated with xylazine or acepromazine) and three protocols for
electroejaculation, were evaluated: (2 to 4V; 5 to 12V) and fixed (12V). The collected
semen was evaluated by means of computerized semen analysis. The use of the
acepromazine and ketamine combination promoted a better degree of analgesia,
quality and recovery from anesthesia, and better behavioral indicators of well-being
during the anesthetic and post-anesthetic period. The protocol for increasing
electroejaculation (5 - 12V) demonstrated better efficiency in the semen collection
rate. As for the macroscopic evaluation, the ejaculates presented average values for
the parameters: volume (0.53 ± 0.63mL), consistency: milky (80%), aqueous (20%),
color: yellow (40%), white (26%), ivory (20%), brown (6,67%), translucent (6,67%),
odor: Sui generis (100%), pH (7,23±0.26), and sperm concentration (967,19±947,33
x 106 sptz/mL). It was observed that the sperm parameters of white-lipped peccary
are within the desirable standards, allowing them to be considered as having
potential for the development of assisted reproduction techniques. The tests used
enabled a detailed analysis of the species' seminal characteristics, aspects that are
still unprecedented in the literature. This study can contribute as a basis for the
application of reproductive biotechniques, promoting the conservation of this species
classified as vulnerable to extinction.
