Thailand has begun a contraceptive program for wild elephants in eastern Thailand, where elephant population has been ballooning, with a birth rate of 8% compared to 3% in the rest of the country.
Officials from the Wildlife Conservation Office are using dart guns to inject a contraceptive vaccine into female elephants; three have been treated so far. The elephants are being monitored for any possible infection, and will be given blood tests every six monthsi.
Wild elephant numbers in Thailand rose from 334 in 2015 to almost 800 last year, with thousands more in captivity. Human-elephant conflict has caused almost 200 human fatalities and more than 100 elephant deaths since 2012, the office said.
The shots are said to be effective for seven years, and work by regulating hormone levels. The vaccine was originally tested on captive elephants.
Wild elephants in Trat province in eastern Thailand. (Photo: Thailand Wildlife Conservation Office)
