Contraception methods in wild animal species: a literary review

Human interactions with the environment have altered the delicate equilibrium that defines relationships between animals and the ecosystem. As the population growth rates have been modified, humans have to support an equilibrated coexistence between species. The implementation of contraception can be used to control the number of animals without the need to cull them. A wide variety of contraceptive methods have been developed, ranging from synthetic hormones to Immunocontraceptive vaccines. Each formulation stops reproduction with a different approach, giving the opportunity to select the most appropriate ones for animal species that are supposed to be treated. Contraceptives have also been used to treat conditions, usually related to reproductive diseases or hormonal imbalances. Elephants can be regarded as a case study for the implementation of contraception in wild animals. With their numbers rapidly increasing in reserves as a result of human management, contraceptives have been employed to reduce the population growth rate. Immunocontraceptive vaccines have been tested, proving their efficacy in reducing the fertility of female elephants and consequently the population growth rate.