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.{{Cite journal |last1=Kirkpatrick |first1=Jay F. |last2=Lyda |first2=Robin O. |last3=Frank |first3=Kimberly M. |date=2011 |title=Contraceptive Vaccines for Wildlife: A Review |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0897.2011.01003.x |journal=American Journal of Reproductive Immunology |language=en |volume=66 |issue=1 |pages=40–50 |doi=10.1111/j.1600-0897.2011.01003.x |issn=1046-7408}} 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.Schuerman, M. [http://audubonmagazine.org/webstories/deer_birth_control.html Birth Control for Deer?.] Audubon February 8, 2002. 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.{{Cite news|last=Barr|first=Cameron W.|date=2004-08-19|title=A Deer Contraceptive Is Turning Off the Heat|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13311-2004Aug18.html|access-date=2021-02-14}}{{Update inline|date=February 2021}} It may cost $300 to $1000 per deer.

One contraceptive vaccine used is porcine zona pellucida (PZP), or derivatives. This form of immunocontraception prevents sperm from accessing an ovum.{{Cite web|last=Broache|first=Anne|date=October 2005|title=Oh Deer!|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/oh-deer-70659694/|access-date=2021-02-14|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en}} Another form of deer immunocontraception, called GonaCon, produces antibodies to sex drive hormones in the deer, causing them to lose interest in mating.{{Cite news|date=2011-09-01|title=Deer 'pill' curbs aggressive mating|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-14744811|access-date=2021-02-14}} Similar forms of injectable immunocontraceptives are being studied for use in elk{{Cite web|last=Boyle|first=Rebecca|date=2009-03-03|title=Birth Control for Animals|url=https://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-03/birth-control-animals/|access-date=2021-02-14|website=Popular Science|language=en}} and gray squirrels.{{Cite web |last=Dalhouse |first=D. |date=March 10, 2008 |title=Squirrel contraceptive research under way |url=http://www.clemson.edu/newsroom/articles/2008/march/Squirrel_research.php5 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706192404/http://www.clemson.edu/newsroom/articles/2008/march/Squirrel_research.php5 |archive-date=July 6, 2008 |website=Clemson University}}

Oral contraceptives may also be developed for population control among a variety of animals, including deer, feral pigs, coyotes, cougars, dogs and cats.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2008-02-25|title=Oral Contraceptives Could Work For Dogs, Cats, Pigs, Maybe Even Deer And Coyotes|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219132149.htm|access-date=2021-02-14|website=ScienceDaily|language=en}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.pctonline.com/article/senestech-contrapest-rodent-product-epa-approval/ |publisher=Pest Control Technology, GIA Media, Inc. |title=ContraPest Rodent Control Product Wins EPA Approval |date=12 August 2016 |access-date=11 November 2016}} 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.{{Cite web|title=Fertility control research|url=https://squirrelaccord.uk/squirrels/fertility_control/|access-date=February 7, 2022|website=UK Squirrel Accord}}{{Cite web|date=February 2021|title=Grey squirrel fertility control research. Frequently asked questions|url=https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media.squirrelaccord.uk/2021/02/UKSA_fertility_control_research_FAQs_February_2021_-_research_-_UK_Squirrel_Accord.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201044836/https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media.squirrelaccord.uk/2021/02/UKSA_fertility_control_research_FAQs_February_2021_-_research_-_UK_Squirrel_Accord.pdf|archive-date=February 1, 2022|access-date=February 7, 2022}}

Pigeons have been a target for experimental contraceptives for decades.{{Cite news|last=Mooallem|first=Jon|date=2006-10-15|title=Pigeon Wars|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/magazine/15pigeons.html|access-date=2021-02-14|issn=0362-4331}} 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.{{Cite web | url=https://ordspub.epa.gov/ords/pesticides/f?p=PPLS:102:::NO::P102_REG_NUM:80224-1 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105194029/https://ordspub.epa.gov/ords/pesticides/f?p=PPLS:102:::NO::P102_REG_NUM:80224-1 | url-status=dead | archive-date=5 January 2024 | title=Labels for OVOCONTROL P (80224-1) | website=ordspub.epa.gov}}

[http://www.ovocontrol.com www.ovocontrol.com] An oral contraceptive was also introduced in 2005 for the control of Canada geese, but abandoned in 2011 due to regulatory barriers and pressure from hunting groups.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

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.{{cite web|title=Tasmanian Devil Contraception Trial shows Early Promise|url=http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf/news/04A135977CC966B2CA257DA20008A604|website=Save the Tasmanian Devil|accessdate=6 January 2015|date=2 December 2014}}

As with any form of wildlife management, wildlife contraceptives can in some cases cause negative side-effects on the welfare of the treated animals,{{Cite journal |last1=Gray |first1=Meeghan E |last2=Cameron |first2=Elissa Z |date=2010 |title=Does contraceptive treatment in wildlife result in side effects? A review of quantitative and anecdotal evidence |url=https://rep.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/rep/139/1/45.xml |journal=Reproduction |volume=139 |issue=1 |pages=45–55 |doi=10.1530/REP-08-0456 |issn=1470-1626}} although there is some evidence that it may provide animal welfare benefits as well.{{Cite journal |last1=Eckerström Liedholm |first1=Simon |last2=Hecht |first2=Luke |last3=Elliott |first3=Vittoria |date=2024-09-11 |title=Improving wild animal welfare through contraception |url=https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biae071/7754873 |journal=BioScience |language=en |doi=10.1093/biosci/biae071 |issn=0006-3568|pmc=11494473 }}

References

External links

[https://www.wildlifefertilitycontrol.org/ Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control]

Category:Animal welfare

Category:Birth control

Category:Theriogenology

Wildlife contraceptive

Usage

See also

References

Further reading

External links