BANGKOK, May 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Thailand, "the kingdom of elephants",has recently established the world's first elephant sperm bank, in order to pass on the genetic traits of healthy elephants, the state-owned radio here reported Friday.

¡¡¡¡The Elephant Care Assembly, a local non-governmental organization which initiated the project, said the bank will also lessen the problem of inbreeding caused by the shortage of male elephants.

¡¡¡¡The bank, situated at Ayuttaya, some 100 kilometers north of here, has just set a world record for preserving elephants' sperm for as long as two months and 20 days.

¡¡¡¡Thailand is going to patent the technique to freeze and thaw elephant sperm.

¡¡¡¡Thai officials expected the project to generate foreign exchange income for the country in the future, as it costs some 51,000 U.S. dollars to artificially inseminate a female elephant overseas and so far only three elephants have been born by artificial insemination in the world.

¡¡¡¡Sperm from the bank will be used for insemination in two monthsand if all goes well the first baby elephant with sperm bank fathers will be born in 22 months. Enditem

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