BBC News - The science and heartbreak of zoo romance

Internet mating - the arranged romance between gorillas Bana and Kwan at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago

Zoo biologists use genetic analysis, demographic statistics and keen familiarity to plan the sex lives of their charges. Their goal is to avoid inbreeding and produce healthy offspring, but sometimes, even the best scientists and most attentive zoo-keepers cannot prevent a tragedy.

The couple seemed like a good pair.

Already sporting a distinguished coat of grey fur at the age of 22, he was a stout, hale and hearty father of a young son. [...]

Full article at bbc.co.uk

But we'll never do this with humans. No way, that'd just be wrong.

Actually, we already do it through sperm and egg donation screening, and screening of embryos for various identifiable genetic traits, and frankly there *is* nothin' wrong with it as long as it's at the behest of the parents and not a governing or corporate entity. There'll always be different opinions as to whether it's moral or immoral, those are just opinions and should have no bearing in the lives of anyone who doesn't personally hold them, but if it can be done and people want to do it it will be done and it will be best if it's done openly without stigma, because what is important amongst all the opinions and judgments and arguments is the well-being of the people involved, designed and engineered or not, which will be best-served by each of us doing our part (if we have one) in seeing to it that the procedures used are the most viable and least risky possible.

Posted via email from Moments of Awareness