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Characteristics
of the Ideal Wildlife Contraceptive
The failure to achieve practical
results with steroid hormones led to a re-examination of the
problem. It became apparent by the early 1990s that research
was proceeding without a "gold standard" by which
to evaluate each new approach. Without such a standard evaluation
of potential wildlife fertility control methods could be likened
to a discussion of law without a constitution. Thus, a theoretical
"standard" was created and included:
1. Contraceptive effectiveness of at least 90%.
2. The ability for remote delivery, with no handling of animals.
3. Reversibility of contraceptive effects(more important for
some species than others).
4. Safety for use in pregnant animals.
5. Absence of significant health side-effects, short- or long-term.
6. No passage of the contraceptive agent through the food
chain.
7. Minimal effects upon individual and social behaviors.
8. Low cost.
While some of these standards are more or less arbitrary,
they at least provided reasonable guidelines and any future
discussions of new wildlife contraceptive agents or discussions
of current agents should attend to these characteristics (see
Kirkpatrick and Turner 1985,1991; Seal 1991).
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