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iSimangaliso Wetland Park Elephants Receive Contraceptive Vaccine

iSimangaliso Wetland Park Elephants Receive Contraceptive Vaccine

Date: 2014-03-07
Elephants in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, located in KwaZulu Natal province on South Africa's East coast, were treated for the first time with a contraceptive vaccine to control the population's growth rate.

With the addition of iSimangaliso's population, immunocontraception is now being used to successfully control elephant populations in 15 parks and reserves, including Tembe Elephant Park (commenced in 2007) in South Africa. Two other populations in KwaZulu NatalÑHluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and IthalaÑwill also receive their first vaccination later this year.

Immunocontraception is a non-hormonal form of contraception that is based on the scientific principles of immunization through vaccination.

All three populations will receive three years of treatment under an agreement between Ezemvelo KwaZulu Natal Wildlife (Ezemvelo) and Humane Society International (HSI), with funding from -Ezemvelo, HSI and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the African Elephant Conservation Fund.

Although elephant poaching and trafficking in ivory severely threatens the survival of African elephants in several African states, in South Africa poaching remains fairly low. As a result, the country needs to manage elephant populations, especially in small enclosed parks and private conservancies, to slow their growth rates so as to prevent loss of biodiversity, to maintain ecosystem function and resilience, to reduce harm to human lives or livelihoods, and to avoid compromising key management objectives.

Research conducted over the past 18 years has resulted in a robust body of scientific work demonstrating that immunocontraception is a safe and effective way to control elephant population growth that has no effect on behavior. It is also reversible, allowing managers to fine-tune population growth.