Contraception in Wildlife Management Terry J. Kreeger, D.V.M., Ph.D.,' Technical Coordinator t) 3 I iCOT ^ Terry Kreeger is a veterinarian and wildlife biologist with the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish in Wheatland, WY. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimina- tion in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250, or call (800) 245-6340 (voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer. The opinions expressed by individuals in this report do not necessarily represent the policies of USDA. Mention of companies or commercial products does not imply recommendation or endorsement by USDA over others not mentioned. USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of any product mentioned. Product names are mentioned solely to report factually on available data and to provide specific information. Cover photos: The photograph of feral horses was taken on the Challis Range in Idaho by chapter author John Turner, of the Medical College of Ohio, and is reproduced by permission. The image of a brushtail possum is copyrighted by the photogra- pher, Gordon Roberts, of New Zealand, and reproduced by permission. The shot of two deer is an APHIS file photograph. Issued August 1997 Letter of Transmittal Recognizing that infimunocontraception offers wildlife managers a new methodology for controlling the reproduction of certain wild animals of national and even worldwide significance, the Denver Wildlife Research Center—a unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) Animal Damage Control program— invited renowned specialists to address the scientific community at a symposium on this subject in October 1993. Speakers at that meeting assembled scientific articles on related topics for inclusion in this state-of- the-art compendium, revising content and bibliographic source material to cover information made available since the meeting. APHIS is proud to produce this book because it demonstrates our commitment to research on nonlethal methods of suppressing wildlife damage to agricultural and human resources. Funding constraints necessarily limit how many books we can print. However, a limited number of individual copies are available from the library at the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525, U.S.A. The U.S. Government Printing Office will make a single copy of this text available to the main library at all of the land-grant colleges and universities in the United States. Softbound copies and a microfiche version of the book will be available for purchase in perpetuity from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, U.S.A. Please write directly to NTIS for current pricing and ordering information. For more details about ongoing investigations at the Denver Wildlife Research Center or information about the transfer of its research functions to the new APHIS NWRC in Fort Collins, you may contact the Director's Office at the NWRC address given above. Dick Curnow Director, National Wildlife Research Center APHIS Animal Damage Control Fort Collins, CO Bobby AC Deputy Administrator APHIS Animal Damage Control Washington, DC Terry lir: Medley APHIS Administrator Washington, DC III Acknowledgments This book is the result of the conference entitled "Contraception in Wildlife Management" that was convened by the Denver Wildlife Research Center October 26-28, 1993, in Denver, CO. We gratefully acknowledge the sponsors that made this meeting possible, including the Humane Society of the United States, the Wildlife Management Institute, and the Berryman Institute at Utah State University. We also acknowledge the excellent work and dedication the conference program planning committee provided, especially Barbara Rectenwald for her attention to detail, patience, and hard work. A special word of thanks is given to Terry J. Kreeger for his technical editing and oversight of the book's scientific content and to Diana L. Dwyer for her leadership and dedication to publishing this volume. Finally, we acknowledge the excellent production support provided by editor Janet S. Wintermute, designer Heather Cooney, and printing specialist Anita McGrady from APHIS' Legislative and Public Affairs unit. IV Contents 1 Contraception in Domestic and Wild Animal Populations Using Zona Pellucida Immunogens Bonnie S. Dunbar 11 Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Analogs or Active Immunization Against GnRH To Control Fertility in Wildlife Susan E. Becker and Larry S. Katz 21 Surgical Sterilization: An Underutilized Procedure for Evaluating the Merits of Induced sterility James J. Kennelly and Kathryn A. Converse 29 Overview of Delivery Systems for the Administration of Contraceptives to Wildlife Terry J. Kreeger 49 Delivery of immunocontraceptive Vaccines for Wildlife Management Lowell A. Miller 59 Development of a Bait for the Oral Delivery of Pharmaceuticals to White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) J. Russell Mason, N. J. Bean, Larry S. Katz, and Heidi Hales 69 A Review of Baits and Bait Delivery Systems for Free-Ranging Carnivores and Ungulates Samuel B. Linhart, Andreas Kappeler, and Lamar A. Windberg 133 Research and Field Applications of Contraceptives in White-Tailed Deer, Feral Horses, and Mountain Goats Robert J. Warren, Richard A. Fayrer-Hosken, Lisa M. White, L. Paige Willis, and Robin B. Goodloe Contents 147 Immunocontraception in White-Tailed Deer John W. Turner, Jr., Jay F. Kirkpatrick, and Irwin K. M. Liu 161 Contraception of Wild and Feral Equids Jay F. Kirkpatrick, J. W. Turner, Jr., and I.K.M. Liu 171 Remotely Delivered Contraception With Needle- less Norgestomet Implants Darrel J. Kesler 185 Considerations for Immunocontraception Among Free-Ranging Carnivores: The Rabies Paradigm Cathleen A. Hanlon and Charles E. Rupprecht 195 immunocontraceptive Vaccines for Control of Fertility in the European Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) Mark P. Bradley 205 Potential Use of Contraception For Managing Wildlife Pests in Australia Mary Bomford and Peter O'Brien 215 Research To Develop Contraceptive Control of Brushtail Possums in New Zealand Simon E. Jolly, Phil E. Cowan, and Janine A. Duckworth 223 immunosterilization for Wild Rabbits: The Options C. H. Tyndale-Biscoe 235 The Development of Contraceptive Methods for Captive Wildlife Cheryl S. Asa VI Contents 241 Contraception in Wildlife Management: Reality or illusion? David C. Guynn, Jr. 247 Human Dimensions of Contraception in Wildlife Management Paul D. Curtis, Daniel J. Decker, Rebecca J. Stout, Mile E. Richmond, and Cynthia A. Loker 257 Thunder in the Distance: The Emerging Policy Debate Over Wildlife Contraception ^ R. Bruce Gill 269 Appendix 1: Authors' Affiliations 271 Index VII Contraception in Domestic and Wild Animal Populations Using Zona Pellucida Immunogens Bonnie S. Dunbar Introduction Conventional Methods of Animal Population Control The human population presently exceeds 6 billion and is continuing to expand at a startling rate. This Despite the need for effective animal population population increase has resulted in the depletion of control, few methods are available which are practical Earth's resources, which are essential for hunnan or cost effective for large-scale administration. The survival. An unfortunate consequence of this expan- major methods of current methods are summarized sion has been the destruction of wildlife habitats. As below. these habitats have diminished, numerous problems have arisen, including conflicts between wildlife and Surgical Sterilization human populations. The threat of extinction of many Of the surgical sterilization methods recommended for plant and animal species has already become a dogs and cats, the surgical removal of the uterus and reality; other wildlife populations have increased due cervix (where possible) as well as the ovary (ovario- to reductions in predator populations. While the hysterectomy) has several advantages over partial increase in the human population must ultimately be removal of reproductive organs. checked, there is a need for effective and humane methods to regulate certain animal populations as While neutering of male animals by castration is well. Another factor relevant to animal overpopulation also common, this procedure may not ultimately have is regional distribution. Widespread overpopulation of a dramatic impact on population reduction in many such animals as white-tailed deer in North America animal populations where one virile male can mate and rabbits in Australia has caused environmental as with numerous females. It is also apparent that well as health problems for humans. In Asia and surgical procedures are not practical for large-scale Africa, the populations of some wildlife species, such sterilization of major populations of mammalian as elephants, have been dramatically reduced. Often wildlife. these animals have frequently been relegated to small areas of land that do not have sufficient resources to Endocrine Regulation