Bangkok: For the first time in Thailand, the Department of National Parks is administering birth control vaccines to wild elephants in an effort to reduce conflicts with humans and achieve a sustainable balance within the forest ecosystem.
According to Thai News Agency, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has partnered with Chiang Mai University to initiate testing of contraceptive vaccines on wild elephants. This pilot project, conducted in Namtok Khlong Kaeo National Park, addresses the rapid increase in the wild elephant population in eastern Thailand. The population surged from 334 elephants in 2015 to an anticipated 799 by 2025. This growth has led to elephants venturing out of forests into human communities, resulting in 141 deaths, 170 injuries, and significant crop damage in several provinces.
Mr. Sukhee Boonkrang, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Office, explained that the contraceptive vaccine is not a sterilization method and poses no harm to the elephants. It provides temporary immunity for female elephants, preventing pregnancy for around seven years, after which they can conceive normally once booster injections are ceased. The vaccine has previously been tested on African elephants and domesticated Thai elephants without adverse effects on their health, behavior, or social structures within herds.
In this initiative, the veterinary team administered the vaccine to three adult female wild elephants from a herd of 12 using air guns, ensuring maximum safety without the use of anesthesia. The elephants will be monitored closely for 48 hours post-vaccination, and their immunity levels will be checked every 6-8 months over a seven-year period. The Department of National Parks underscores the importance of safe population control methods as essential for quality conservation, facilitating a balanced cohabitation of humans and elephants over the long term.