Wildlife contraceptive

Wildlife contraceptives, sometimes referred to as wildlife fertility control, are contraceptives used to regulate the fertility of wild animals. They are used to control population growth of certain wild animals.

Usage

Wildlife contraception has been tested and used in many different species of primarily birds and mammals, likely more that 85 species in total.[1] White-tailed deer may be controlled with contraceptives in suburban areas, where they are sometimes a nuisance. In parts of the United States, does are shot with darts containing a contraceptive vaccine, rendering them temporarily infertile.[2] The Humane Society of the United States runs a deer birth control program, but it is experimental; it may not be cost-effective in the long run.[2][3][needs update] It may cost $300[3] to $1000[2] per deer.

One contraceptive vaccine used is porcine zona pellucida (PZP), or derivatives. This form of immunocontraception prevents sperm from accessing an ovum.[4] Another form of deer immunocontraception, called GonaCon, produces antibodies to sex drive hormones in the deer, causing them to lose interest in mating.[5] Similar forms of injectable immunocontraceptives are being studied for use in elk[6] and gray squirrels.[7]

Oral contraceptives may also be developed for population control among a variety of animals, including deer, feral pigs, coyotes, cougars, dogs and cats.[8] One product that has been developed for rodents like mice and rats, which originally went by the name Mouseopause, was approved for commercial use under the name ContraPest.[9] Another project is a five-year development and trial of several oral contraceptives for gray squirrels in the UK. The project has been supported by the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and aims to "provide an effective, less labour intensive, non-lethal method for managing grey squirrels" by January 2024.[10][11]

Pigeons have been a target for experimental contraceptives for decades.[12] In 2007, the EPA registered the first product for oral contraception of feral pigeons and other pest birds in the US, called OvoControl P, containing the active ingredient nicarbazin.[13] www.ovocontrol.com An oral contraceptive was also introduced in 2005 for the control of Canada geese,[6] but abandoned in 2011 due to regulatory barriers and pressure from hunting groups.[14]

A slow-release hormonal contraceptive implant for female Tasmanian devils is under development. While it may seem counter-intuitive to develop contraceptives for an endangered animal, their use is intended to promote the wild behaviour of mating freely, but without certain females over-contributing to the next generation, which "can have long-term genetic consequences for the insurance population". Contraceptive trials in male devils showed that their testosterone increased, instead of decreasing as other male mammals' testosterone does.[15]

As with any form of wildlife management, wildlife contraceptives can in some cases cause negative side-effects on the welfare of the treated animals,[16] although there is some evidence that it may provide animal welfare benefits as well.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ Kirkpatrick, Jay F.; Lyda, Robin O.; Frank, Kimberly M. (2011). "Contraceptive Vaccines for Wildlife: A Review". American Journal of Reproductive Immunology. 66 (1): 40–50. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0897.2011.01003.x. ISSN 1046-7408.
  2. ^ a b c Schuerman, M. Birth Control for Deer?. Audubon February 8, 2002.
  3. ^ a b Barr, Cameron W. (19 August 2004). "A Deer Contraceptive Is Turning Off the Heat". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  4. ^ Broache, Anne (October 2005). "Oh Deer!". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Deer 'pill' curbs aggressive mating". BBC News. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b Boyle, Rebecca (3 March 2009). "Birth Control for Animals". Popular Science. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  7. ^ Dalhouse, D. (10 March 2008). "Squirrel contraceptive research under way". Clemson University. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008.
  8. ^ "Oral Contraceptives Could Work For Dogs, Cats, Pigs, Maybe Even Deer And Coyotes". ScienceDaily. 25 February 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  9. ^ "ContraPest Rodent Control Product Wins EPA Approval". Pest Control Technology, GIA Media, Inc. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Fertility control research". UK Squirrel Accord. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Grey squirrel fertility control research. Frequently asked questions" (PDF). February 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  12. ^ Mooallem, Jon (15 October 2006). "Pigeon Wars". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  13. ^ "Labels for OVOCONTROL P (80224-1)". ordspub.epa.gov.
  14. ^ The Political and Social Barriers for Contraception in Pest Birds: A Case Study of OvoControl® (NICARBAZIN), Alexander MacDonald, Ph.D. and Erick Wolf, M.B.A. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 44(4S): S132–S134, 2013
  15. ^ "Tasmanian Devil Contraception Trial shows Early Promise". Save the Tasmanian Devil. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  16. ^ Gray, Meeghan E; Cameron, Elissa Z (2010). "Does contraceptive treatment in wildlife result in side effects? A review of quantitative and anecdotal evidence". Reproduction. 139 (1): 45–55. doi:10.1530/REP-08-0456. ISSN 1470-1626.
  17. ^ Eckerström Liedholm, Simon; Hecht, Luke; Elliott, Vittoria (11 September 2024). "Improving wild animal welfare through contraception". BioScience. doi:10.1093/biosci/biae071. ISSN 0006-3568. PMC 11494473.

Further reading