Did This PETA Activist Impregnate Herself with the Sperm of an Endangered Gorilla Species? Find out the facts…

It`s a fact that the extinction rate of species is being intensified by global climate change. Meanwhile, a  recurring viral message among social media users, especially those who ridicule the efforts of animal conservationists, claims that a PETA activist got herself impregnated with sperms of endangered gorilla species in order to preserve an endangered gorilla species. While many commented sarcastically on these posts, many were curious whether this kind of event occurred.

Social Media Posts

Facebook posts suggest an actual incident in which a PETA activist impregnated herself with the sperms of endangered gorilla species to protect that species.

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Here is a news article related to such posts.

The news said a former biologist named Molly Heather, 23, at San Diego Zoo, collected the semen of different animals while working and trying to get pregnant herself with them. And it said she claimed she was successful after using IVF (in-vitro fertilization). She created an embryo by combining gorilla semen with Gorilla eggs and successfully impregnated herself.

According to the websites with this news, it was said that the semen used in this semen belongs to a critically endangered Central Africa’s Eastern Gorilla species.

FACT CHECK 

Bearing a genetically different fetus than the mother doesn’t necessarily make the immune system reject the fetus from the womb. So, in theory, there is the possibility of carrying a gorilla fetus in the womb of a human. But, of course, it should always be done artificially. But before now, no cases were reported of a human mother carrying a baby from another animal species. Not even a cross-species.

So, if such news really happened or even attempted, it would have made headlines worldwide. But we have yet to come across any reporting from a well-known media channel related to this subject.

Usually, breeding with species that bear a close genetic relationship is possible. They can together give birth to hybrid animals. But the resulting offspring is always an animal without the ability to reproduce. For example, horses and donkeys together give birth to an animal called a mule. But mules never reproduce. They have characteristics from both maternal and paternal sides.

Chimpanzees have the most similar genetic structure to humans. So, scientists tried to interbreed these two species and make a hybrid animal out of them in well-controlled laboratory environments for years, as seen here. In the 1920s, artificial insemination was attempted using female chimpanzees and human sperm. But no experiment related to that has ever been successful. Here is a video of why human–chimpanzee babies are far distant from reality. 

Gorillas’ and humans’ genetic bonds are farther than humans and chimpanzees. So, there is even less chance for a human female getting impregnated with gorilla semen, as the bizarre reports claim. If it happened, it would be a significant step in human evolution and surely catch more attention from scientists and others worldwide than just a social media post with photos or web articles.

The posts also highlight an image of a PETA activist. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, and PETA entities have massive supporters globally. However, PETA was also unaware of such an incident, and it appears that Molly Heather, the lady attributed to PETA, was introduced as a fictional name for propagating this false narrative.

We also did a reverse image search for the image of the lady figure seen in the viral posts. We identified her as a former PETA activist and current Executive Director of Anima International – Kirsty Henderson. In an interview with AP News back in 2015, Even though this news went viral online, there are no other records or further details related to this incident, any reporting from a reputed media channel, and no videos as evidence. However, Ms. Henderson expressed severe concerns about the inhumane way of dealing with Gorillas in Zoos for profit-making businesses. She made these remarks after one of the Gorillas escaped the London Zoo. The full video, which includes the screenshot of Kristy Henderson used for viral posts, can be viewed below.

And even though Kristy was vocal about the ill-treatment of the Gorillas in the zoos, there is no mention of her trying to get pregnant with Gorilla semen. Also, we noticed several other fact-checks on this topic, and it was highlighted that these claims originated from a website known for creating satirical content. 

So, it is clear that this news was created to mislead the public and discredit PETA and animal conservationists. 

Conclusion 

The lady in the photo, Kristy Henderson, was involved with PETA and expressed her concerns about the ill-treatment of Gorillas in zoos. However, the viral posts indicating that a PETA activist impregnated herself with one of the critically endangered gorilla species’ semen were false and misleading. They were initially created by a satirical website to mislead the public and discredit PETA and animal conservationists.