Researchers in the United Kingdom and Europe are leading the way in developing an innovative approach to manage invasive and pest species: employing contraceptives. Experiments are currently being conducted involving pigeons, wild boar, grey squirrels, and other rodents, parakeets, and deer, with the goal of substituting conventional, frequently cruel techniques like as poisoning and trapping.
Dr. Giovanna Massei, a researcher at York University, emphasises the necessity for creative and original approaches in response to the growing economic and environmental consequences caused by wildlife. Conventional culling techniques are both inefficient and face opposition from the public, while also causing harm to the ecosystem. “We are exhausting our available alternatives,” Massei asserts.
The arrival of grey squirrels in the UK in the 1800s has caused significant issues, and now efforts are being made to control their population by using hazelnut spreads laced with contraceptives. Experiments utilising feeders that are exclusively accessible to grey squirrels have demonstrated encouraging outcomes. Pigeons in urban environments may soon be administered contraceptives in the form of maize grains, providing a convenient solution.
Non-native parakeets in London could also be introduced, possibly by residents providing food containing contraceptives. Scientists are currently investigating contraceptive methods for wild pigs in Europe, where their population has significantly increased, leading to increased agricultural damage and traffic accidents.
Several nations are prohibiting the use of rodenticides because of their negative effects on wildlife, particularly birds of prey, and concerns about animal welfare. However, fertility control offers a compassionate alternative. According to Prof. Steve Belmain from Greenwich University, implementing fertility control measures could greatly assist in the management of rodent populations, which present risks to agriculture and livestock.
The notion has been implemented on a global scale, with wild horses in the US and African elephants in Kruger National Park already utilising contraceptive methods. Nevertheless, there are still regulatory obstacles that need to be addressed, specifically with the ecological consequences of synthetic hormones and the potential impact on predators that consume animals treated with contraceptives.
Next week, York University will organise a workshop to deliberate on the progress made in wildlife fertility control. The objective is to devise sustainable and efficient strategies for wildlife management.