Thailand Puts Its Elephants on Birth Control

Thailand has begun using a birth control vaccine on elephants in the wild to try and curb a growing problem where human and animal populations encroach on each other—an issue in areas where farms spread into forests and elephants are squeezed out of their natural habitat. The initiative is part of efforts to address confrontations that can turn deadly, reports the AP. As farmers cut down forests to make more farmland, elephants are forced to venture out of their shrinking habitats in search of food. Last year, wild elephants killed 30 people and injured 29 in Thailand, according to official figures, which also noted more than 2,000 incidents of elephants damaging crops.

Sukhee Boonsang, director of the Wildlife Conservation Office, said that controlling the wild elephant population has become necessary as numbers of elephants living near residential areas rises sharply, increasing the risk of confrontations. The office obtained 25 doses of a US-made vaccine and conducted a two-year trial on seven domesticated elephants—using up seven doses of the vaccine—which yielded promising results, he said. He explained the vaccine doesn't stop female elephants from ovulating but prevents eggs from being fertilized. Then, in late January, the vaccine was administered to three wild elephants in eastern Trat province, he said, adding that authorities are now determining which areas to target next as they prepare to use up the remaining 15 doses.

The vaccine can prevent pregnancy for seven years, and the elephants will be able to reproduce again if they don't receive a booster after that time expires. Experts will closely monitor the vaccinated elephants throughout the seven-year period. The vaccination drive has drawn criticism that it might undermine conservation efforts. Thailand has a centuries-old tradition of using domesticated elephants in farming and transportation. Elephants are also a big part of Thailand's national identity—and have been officially proclaimed a symbol of the nation.

Sukhee said the program targets only wild elephants in areas with the highest rates of violent human-elephant conflict. Official statistics show a birth rate of wild elephants in these regions at approximately 8.2% per year, more than double the national average of around 3.5%. About 800 out of the nation's approximately 4,400 wild elephants live in these conflict-prone areas, Sukhee said. "If we don't take action, the impact on people living in these areas will continue to grow until it becomes unmanageable," he said.