The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has initiated a bold project to manage the population of wild animals through ‘immunocontraceptive measures’. The project will focus on four species of wild animals – Elephants, Wild boar, Monkeys and Blue Bull (Nilgai). The pilot project is set to kickstart in Uttarakhand before being implemented across the country. To develop an effective protocol of immunocontraception, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the National Institute of Immunology (NII) have come together.
Understanding Immunocontraception
Immunocontraception serves as a birth control method that leverages the body’s immune response to prevent pregnancy. This ingenious technology engages a female animal’s immune system to construct a protein around the egg, thereby preventing fertilisation. It provides a humane and nonlethal resolution to conflicts between humans and wildlife, as well as effectively tackling local issues of animal overpopulation. In addition to assisting in managing the overproduction of captive animals in zoos, it also paves a novel approach to developing family planning methods.
Despite existing contraceptive methods, the world experiences over one million elective abortions each year due to unintended pregnancies, adversely impacting the reproductive health of women far and wide. This underscores the urgency for creating better and more effective contraceptive methods.
The Necessity of the Project
Human-animal conflict poses a major challenge in wildlife management in India. Human-elephant conflict, in particular, results in the largest number of casualties annually. According to information shared in Parliament on June 28, 2019, elephants were responsible for taking nearly 494 lives in 2018 alone. Between 2014 and March 2019, elephant attacks led to 2,398 deaths in the country, with West Bengal recording the highest number of fatalities.
| Year | Number of Deaths (Elephant Attacks) |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 487 |
| 2015 | 490 |
| 2016 | 480 |
| 2017 | 501 |
| 2018 | 494 |
| 2019 (up to March) | 190 |
Potential Challenges
Implementing immunocontraceptive measures is far from straightforward, especially in a country like India. It necessitates mathematical modelling and accurate knowledge of the adult female population that requires the vaccine. Multidisciplinary efforts over extended periods will be indispensable to ensure successful implementation of contraceptives and to manage associated logistics.
India’s considerable elephant population magnifies the challenge, as it becomes immensely difficult to identify individual animals. Hormonal contraceptives used in wildlife can easily transfer from one animal to another, which may lead to unforeseen ecological consequences. For instance, fish exposed to treated sewage effluents have been found to carry higher concentrations of synthetic hormones in their blood plasma than human beings on hormonal contraceptives.
Nonetheless, the contraceptive vaccines leverage protein antigens and not steroids, which aren’t easily transferred from one animal to another without losing functionality. Consequently, the necessity for further research is apparent to fully understand and leverage immunocontraception.