A marine biology institute in Chiba Prefecture has artificially inseminated two bottlenose dolphins, the institute said Tuesday.
It is the first time in Japan dolphins have been artificially inseminated, according to the institute at Kamogawa Sea World.
The two dolphins are about 36 and 18 years of age. It will take one to two months to determine whether they were impregnated.
If the insemination is successful, the technique could be used to breed the Baiji, or Chinese river dolphin, which is in danger of extinction, the institute said.