by
Wildlife preserves in South Africa are using birth control for elephants as an alternative to culling or mass killing to control elephant populations.
People fought to protect elephants from poachers until the ivory trade was banned. Now elephants have grown beyond sustainable numbers and the government has lifted the ban on culls.
In the wild elephants would be busy traveling and searching for water and food in the dry climate. On the reserve water is plentiful so the elephant population is not thinning naturally. Although elephants are still endangered in other areas in Africa, on many of the wildlife reserves in South Africa they are not.
Birth Control Vaccine
The vaccine that acts as birth control does not contain hormones but instead uses the elephant’s immune system to block the fertilization of their eggs. This means they’re safer because there are no side effects from hormones and the rest of the food chain is not at risk.
It seems a practical alternative to culling and is usually reversible so elephants can become pregnant later. Some elephants are still allowed to become pregnant so younger ones can be socialized properly and learn how to raise their own young.
- Vasectomies are also used as birth control and an alternative to culling elephants in places like Kruger National Park in South Africa. Culling has been reinstated but it is a controversial method since it means killing whole elephant herds and that also affects the tourist industry.
For more information see:
November 12th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
ioxlihy663r7v75e