In November 2021, two scientists from the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden received grants to further their work in understanding the complexities of polar bear reproduction. They were Dr. Jesse Wojtusik and Dr. Erin Curry. Dr. Wojtusik received the First Award Grant from the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) while Dr. Curry was awarded the Museums for America award by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Both scientists work at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Lindner Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), a leader in scientific research and conservation efforts for endangered wildlife.
Dr. Woktusik’s First Award Grant was the first time a CREW scientist received a MAF First Award Grant, one of the most competitive scientific grants. To obtain the grant, applicants must undergo a rigorous process to ensure only the most innovative studies with the highest scientific merit and potential impact qualify. Dr. Wojtusik’s award was for $92,388 distributable over two years. It will fund studies on investigating hormones as biomarkers for reproductive health in polar bears.
Polar bear reproductive health is notoriously complex. The animals experience delayed implantations, embryonic diapause, and even pseudopregnancy. This makes it much harder for scientists to know when reproduction fails and why it is. When the polar bear population is dwindling because of climate change and melting polar ice caps, uncovering the secrets to their reproductive health will be vital to restoring them to a self-sustaining population.
Dr. Wojtusik and other CREW scientists believe that by monitoring the dozens of hormones in polar bears’ bodies, they can pinpoint those that are vital to reproduction, map out their seasonal fluctuations, and characterize sexual maturation. The scientists have already analyzed 60 bear samples from over 30 institutions to create the world’s largest polar bear endocrine database. Progress is being made.
Dr. Curry, on her part, received the Museums of America award for $196,462. It was accompanied by a $198,413 award match from the Cincinnati Zoo. Her work focuses on facilitating safe polar bear reproduction in zoos.
Polar bear populations are not only declining in the wild. Even zoos are struggling to sustain their numbers. Only about 40 polar bears remain in US zoos, many aging. They also birth very few cubs. Since 2011, Dr. Curry has been part of CREW’s Polar Bear Project, monitoring the reproductive cycles of polar bears, advising zoos on the management of pregnant females, and developing assistive reproductive technologies like sperm cryopreservation post-mortem sperm recovery, ovulation induction, and intrauterine insemination. In 2012, the team even performed the first artificial insemination of a polar bear, though no cub was born.
With the grant money she received, Dr. Curry will investigate the low rates of polar bear reproduction and propose methods to improve breeding and propagation. Working together with researchers from other American zoological associations, Dr. Curry will evaluate the reproductive physiology of polar bears and develop metrics for enhancing their reproductive and overall well-being. The scientists will then publish their information in open-source publications, so it is accessible by other scientists, veterinarians, researchers, and animal care professionals. Ultimately, this work will support better care for polar bears in zoos and lead to higher reproduction success rates.
Dr. Woktusik’s First Award Grant was the first time a CREW scientist received a MAF First Award Grant, one of the most competitive scientific grants. To obtain the grant, applicants must undergo a rigorous process to ensure only the most innovative studies with the highest scientific merit and potential impact qualify. Dr. Wojtusik’s award was for $92,388 distributable over two years. It will fund studies on investigating hormones as biomarkers for reproductive health in polar bears.
Polar bear reproductive health is notoriously complex. The animals experience delayed implantations, embryonic diapause, and even pseudopregnancy. This makes it much harder for scientists to know when reproduction fails and why it is. When the polar bear population is dwindling because of climate change and melting polar ice caps, uncovering the secrets to their reproductive health will be vital to restoring them to a self-sustaining population.
Dr. Wojtusik and other CREW scientists believe that by monitoring the dozens of hormones in polar bears’ bodies, they can pinpoint those that are vital to reproduction, map out their seasonal fluctuations, and characterize sexual maturation. The scientists have already analyzed 60 bear samples from over 30 institutions to create the world’s largest polar bear endocrine database. Progress is being made.
Dr. Curry, on her part, received the Museums of America award for $196,462. It was accompanied by a $198,413 award match from the Cincinnati Zoo. Her work focuses on facilitating safe polar bear reproduction in zoos.
Polar bear populations are not only declining in the wild. Even zoos are struggling to sustain their numbers. Only about 40 polar bears remain in US zoos, many aging. They also birth very few cubs. Since 2011, Dr. Curry has been part of CREW’s Polar Bear Project, monitoring the reproductive cycles of polar bears, advising zoos on the management of pregnant females, and developing assistive reproductive technologies like sperm cryopreservation post-mortem sperm recovery, ovulation induction, and intrauterine insemination. In 2012, the team even performed the first artificial insemination of a polar bear, though no cub was born.
With the grant money she received, Dr. Curry will investigate the low rates of polar bear reproduction and propose methods to improve breeding and propagation. Working together with researchers from other American zoological associations, Dr. Curry will evaluate the reproductive physiology of polar bears and develop metrics for enhancing their reproductive and overall well-being. The scientists will then publish their information in open-source publications, so it is accessible by other scientists, veterinarians, researchers, and animal care professionals. Ultimately, this work will support better care for polar bears in zoos and lead to higher reproduction success rates.
