Contraception in Wildlife Species: Myths and Misconceptions
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When, Where and for What Wildlife Species Will Contraception Be a Useful Management Approach? KathleenA.Fagerstone , LowellA.Miller , KimberlyS.Bynum , JohnD.Eisemann ,and ChristiYoder USDAAPHISWildlifeServices,NationalWildlifeResearchCenter,FortCollins,Colorado ABSTRACT : DespitethefactthatmanywildlifespecieshavebecomeoverabundantbothinNorthAmericaandotherpartsofthe world,thepublicisincreasinglyunwillingtomanage wildlifepopulations withtraditionaltechniquessuchastrappingorlethal methods.Agrowingsegmentofthepublicisurgingtheuseofcontraceptivestoreducepopulationsofoverabundantfree-ranging wildlife.Inspiteofpublicpressure,thedevelopmentanduseofwildlifefertilitycontroltechniqueshasbeenslowtooccur,partially because of the difficulty in developing efficient, cost-effective methods, and partially because of misconceptions about these potentialtechniques. TheregulatoryauthorityforcontraceptiveshasrecentlybeenmovedfromtheFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)tothe EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA);theextensiveEPAregistrationprocessisbothrigorousandcostly.Onlyonewildlife contraceptiveiscurrentlyregisteredandavailable:theNationalWildlifeResearchCenter(NWRC)workedtodevelopaproductfor reducingthehatchabilityofCanadagooseeggsincooperationwithInnolytics,LLC,whoholdstheregistrationforOvoControl ®G. Development is continuing for additional experimental products. Another product developed by the NWRC, the single-shot GonaCon ™ImmunocontraceptiveVaccineispoisedtobegintheregistrationprocess.Athirdproduct,DiazaCon ™,willbesoon testedforfieldefficacyandshouldbegintheregistrationprocesswithintheyear.Nosinglewildlifecontraceptivetechniquewould be applicable for use in all wildlife species and for all management situations for a particular species. Differences in animal physiologyandbehavior,aswellasdifferencesintheecologyofthedamage,affectwhichcontraceptiveswillbemosteffective. Therefore, contraceptives with different modes of action will need to be developed for different species and uses. Wildlife contraceptiveswillnotreplaceothermanagementtoolsandwillprobablyhavealimiteduse,primarilyinurban/suburbanareas.In mostspecies,wildlifecontraceptiveswillnotrapidlyreducepopulations.Populationsofshort-livedspeciessuchasrodentscould be rapidly reduced with contraceptives; however, in long-lived species such as deer and horses, it would take years to reduce populationswithfertilitycontrolalone,anddamagecausedbythosespecieswillcontinuetooccur.Thismanuscriptwilldiscuss whatcontraceptivetechniquesarebeingdevelopedbytheUSDAWildlifeServicesNWRC,andwhen,where,andforwhatspecies theymaybeapplicable. KEY WORDS : contraception,fertilitycontrol,immunocontraceptive,wildlifepopulationcontrol Proc.22 nd Vertebr.PestConf. (R.M.TimmandJ.M.O’Brien,Eds.) PublishedatUniv.ofCalif.,Davis. 2006. Pp.45-54. INTRODUCTION been effective or feasible or is precluded because of Formostofthelastcentury,federalandstatewildlife human opposition. A growing interest in nonlethal conservationagenciesintheUnitedStateshavefocused methodsforpopulationcontrolofnuisanceordamaging onconservingorincreasingpopulationsofmanyspecies wildlife species has fostered research in wildlife ofwildlife.Althoughwildlifeabundanceisdesirablein contraception.Becausefertilitycontrolactsbyreducing mostcases,somepopulationsmayreachundesirablyhigh birthrates,ratherthanbyincreasingmortalityrates,itis levels and cause either ecological damage or human- perceived by the public as being more humane and wildlife conflicts. Conflicts can include damage to morallyacceptablethanconventionalpopulationcontrol agricultural commodities through depredations of live- methods. stock, crops, or forest resources. Buildings and other The changing cultural values and increasing structures and properties can be damaged by nesting, urbanizationoftheUnitedStatesarecurtailingtraditional burrowing, feeding, or other wildlife activities. Over- wildlife management tools used to effectively manage abundantwildlifealsocancausehumanhealthandsafety conflicts between human and wildlife populations. issues,includingwildlife-aircraftstrikesanddeer-vehicle Because of this trend, the USDA Wildlife Services collisions.Thereisincreasingconcernaboutthepotential National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) began forwildlifediseasetransmissiontohumansandlivestock developing wildlife contraceptives in 1991. Since that (e.g., Lyme disease, tuberculosis, brucellosis, pseu- time, NWRC scientists have steadily worked towards dorabies,WestNilevirus,chronicwastingdisease,avian developingandregisteringcontraceptiveproductsthatare influenza). Many of the problems associated with practicaltouse,safeforthetreatedanimal,andpresent overabundant wildlife occur in areas recently converted little risk to humans, nontarget animals, and the by suburban development or in parks or preserves. In environment. Wildlife contraceptives will not replace many of these areas, regulation of some wildlife othermanagementtools.Contraceptiveswillprobablybe populationsthroughconventionalmeans,suchashunting, used primarily in urban/suburban areas or areas where translocation, culling, or habitat modification, has not alternative wildlife management techniques, such as 45 hunting and trapping, cannot be employed. This Canada geese identified a palatable bait, showed that manuscriptdescribestheproductsbeingdevelopedbythe reduction in hatchability was possible, and showed that NWRC and discusses the biological, economic, and theidealdoserateallowedthefemalebirdtolayeggsand publicpolicyfactorsthatmayaffecttheirfutureuse. sit on them, but prevented hatching. Nicarbazin (Ovo- Control ®G)fieldstudieshavereducedthepercentageof CONTRACEPTIVEPRODUCTSUNDER eggs hatching in a treated population by about 50% DEVELOPMENTFORWILDLIFE (Yoder et al . In Press, Bynum et al . 2007); this is No single wildlife contraceptive technique would be probably an underestimate of efficacy because when applicable for use in all wildlife species or for all consumed at high rates, geese do not even lay eggs. management situations. Differences in animal physiol- Advantages ofNCZ arethatitisspecifictoegglaying ogyandbehavior,aswellasdifferencesintheecologyof avianspecies,itisclearedfromthebodywithin48to72 the damage (type of damage done, access to target hours,andtheinfertilityeffectisreversibleinthesame species, nontarget species in the area), affect which timeframe. Adisadvantageofthecompoundisthatit contraceptiveswillbemosteffective.Therefore,contra- hastobefedatleasteveryotherdaypriortoandduring ceptives with different modes of action and application egg laying. OvoControl ® G 2500 ppm nicarbazin bait methodswillneedtobedevelopedfordifferentspecies was registered with the EPA in fall 2005 as a anduses. reproductive inhibitor for managing urban resident This manuscript focuses only on contraceptive CanadageeseandiscommerciallyavailableintheU.S. products for which research is being conducted at the throughInnolytics,LLC. Wildlife Services’ National Wildlife Research Center. The regulatory authority for wildlife contraceptives has DiazaCon ™ recently switched from the Food and Drug Administra- DiazaCon ™(Ornitrol)isacholesterolmimicthathasa tion (FDA) to the Environmental Protection Agency chemical structure similar to cholesterol (Miller and (EPA)(Eisemann etal .2006).Onefertilitycontrolagent Fagerstone2000,Yoder etal .2005).Itinhibitsformation forwildlife(OvoControl ®G)wasapprovedbytheEPA of pregnenolone (the parent compound of all steroid inthefallof2005.Aninjectableimmunocontraceptive hormones),preventingformationoftestosterone,proges- vaccine,Gonadotropin-ReleasingHormone(GnRH),and terone,andestradiol.DiazaCon ™persistsinthebody,so the orally delivered contraceptive DiazaCon™ are being its reproductive inhibition effects can last up to several tested prior to being submitted for registration by the months.Itwasregisteredinthelate1960sbytheEPAas EPA.Anotherinjectableimmunocontraceptivevaccine, the oral pigeon ( Columba livia ) reproductive inhibitor Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP), may be considered for Ornitrol, but the registration was cancelled in 1993. registrationatalaterdate. Althoughthe drug waseffectiveinreducingegglaying andegghatchability(Woulfe1968),thepigeonisayear- AvianContraceptives around breeder, and long-term use of the compound Interferingwithegglaying orthehatchabilityofthe became expensive. Also this product may have egg can reduce reproductive capacity in birds. Egg undesirable health effects on birds (Lofts et al . 1968) addling by shaking or oiling the eggs in the nest is when given for a long period of time at high levels, effective at reducing egg hatchability (Pochop et al . because cholesterol is necessary for body functions in 1998).TheEPAallowseggoilingwithcornoilundera addition to production of reproductive hormones. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act However,whenfedforshorterperiods(e.g.,toseasonal (FIFRA) 25b exemption for natural products, and egg breedingspecies),healtheffectsmaynotbeaconcern.In oiling is currently being used to reduce reproduction in recent tests, Yoder et al . (2004) found DiazaCon ™ Canadageese( Brantacanadensis )andgulls( Larus spp.). effectiveinreducingegglayingandegghatchabilityup However, this method is labor intensive and probably to 4 months in coturnix quail ( Coturnix coturnix ) after usefulonlyinsmallareas. feeding it for 12-14 days. This compound is currently beingtestedinafieldeffectivenesstrialbytheNWRCfor Nicarbazin monk parakeet ( Myiopsitta monarchus ) management in Nicarbazin (NCZ) is an anticoccidial drug routinely