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.
White-tailed deer
The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known Common name, commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North America, North, Central America, Central and South America. It is the ...
may be controlled with contraceptives in
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
an 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]
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
Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is a form of economic analysis that compares the relative costs and outcomes (effects) of different courses of action. Cost-effectiveness analysis is distinct from cost–benefit analysis, which assigns a monetar ...
in the long run.
[ per deer.
One contraceptive vaccine used is porcine zona pellucida (PZP), or derivatives. This form of immunocontraception prevents sperm from accessing an ovum. Another form of deer immunocontraception, called GonaCon, produces antibodies to sex drive hormones in the deer, causing them to lose interest in mating. Similar forms of injectable immunocontraceptives are being studied for use in elk]cougar
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...
s, dogs and cats. One product that has been developed for rodents like mice
A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...
and rats, which originally went by the name Mouseopause, was approved for commercial use under the name ContraPest. 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
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for environmental quality, environmenta ...
and aims to "provide an effective, less labour intensive, non-lethal method for managing grey squirrels" by January 2024.
Pigeons have been a target for experimental contraceptives for decades. 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.
www.ovocontrol.com
An oral contraceptive was also introduced in 2005 for the control of Canada geese,testosterone
Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and androgen in Male, males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testicles and prostate, as well as promoting se ...
increased, instead of decreasing as other male mammals' testosterone does.
As with any form of wildlife management, wildlife contraceptives can in some cases cause negative side-effects on the welfare of the treated animals, although there is some evidence that it may provide animal welfare benefits as well.
See also
*Neutering
Neutering, from the Latin ('of neither sex'), is the removal of a non-human animal's sex organ, reproductive organ, either all of it or a considerably large part. The male-specific term is castration, while spaying is usually reserved for female ...
* Xenoestrogen
* Inherited sterility in insects
* Sterile Insect Technique
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wildlife Contraceptive
Animal welfare
Birth control
Theriogenology