Elephant Contraception

[ShowMeElephants]

According to a news article published yesterday in California, the San Diego Zoo's female elephants "are all on contraception. The advanced age could cause complications during a pregnancy, so the decision was made to put them on contraception."

It was announced in December 2010 that Tina and Jewel, new residents to the Los Angeles Zoo, were also put on contraception if they are later to mix with the zoo's young male Asian elephant, Billy.

Does anyone have more information regarding other elephants in American (or world) zoos that are also on contraception to prevent births?

>> "Sometimes, zoos can have too much of a good thing" by Michael Stetz, SignOnSanDeigo.com, 2011-01-20
>> Elephant Contraception at ShowMeElephants

 

[Dallaspachyderm]

Very interesting, I would guess the females at the Caldwell zoo are on them too... Just a guess though. And possibly the females at SIXFLAGS in Jackson, Newersey

 

[ShowMeElephants]

Very interesting, I would guess the females at the Caldwell zoo are on them too... Just a guess though. And possibly the females at SIXFLAGS in Jackson, Newersey

Do you have information supporting this, or is it based on a lack of successful breeding at either location?

 

[Dallaspachyderm]

I was using lack of successful breeding, considering Chico has bred before and Rip has bred before. But it was just an assumption.

 

[Ann Littlewood]

Is this really "contraception" or simply not putting males and females together? I have never heard of an elephant "pill." I would be very interested if there were such a thing.

 

[Chlidonias]

Is this really "contraception" or simply not putting males and females together? I have never heard of an elephant "pill." I would be very interested if there were such a thing.

a quick google search throws up lots of links about elephant contraception, including (for example) Overpopulation of elephants: A mighty dilemma (quoted in part below)

Since 2000, the elephant population of the Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve has been managed entirely through contraception of the female elephants found on the reserve. Today there are 66 elephants roaming around the 2500 ha reserve, with 23 of the 28 females of reproductive age being treated with a yearly contraceptive injection.

Unlike human oral contraceptives, the drug used to stop the elephants from reproducing does not rely on sex hormones. Rather, it uses proteins extracted from eggs produced by female pigs. When injected into elephants along with an immunologically enhancing substance, these proteins (known as porcine zona pellucida proteins) successfully stop sperm from binding to, penetrating and fertilising the egg produced when an elephant cow ovulates.

This method of contraception is known as immunocontraception, as it relies on the elephant creating an antibody to the pig proteins. This antibody is what stops sperm from penetrating the egg. The method has been used in 35 species, such as horses, and was first tested on zoo elephants.

 

[Ann Littlewood]

Thanks! Very interesting.

 

[ShowMeElephants]

Is this really "contraception" or simply not putting males and females together? I have never heard of an elephant "pill." I would be very interested if there were such a thing.

Both zoos have their elephant on medicinal type of contraception. The Los Angeles Zoo has not yet had their male and female elephants occupy the same enclosure yet, but the San Diego Zoo's male elephant resided with his former female herd during his life at the Wild Animal Park and continues to do so after his transfer to the new facility at the Zoo.