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ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS

MONTH: October 2006

Kangaroo contraceptives

 

CANBERRA--The Australian Capital Territory government and Newcastle University on August 23, 2006 announced plans to jointly develop a species-specific oral contraceptive for eastern grey kangaroos.

 

The contraceptive should be ready for field trials in two to five years, senior Environment ACT ecologist Don Fletcher told news media.

 

"In the coming weeks a research population will be set up in the empty former kangaroo display area at Tidbinbilla," said municipal services John Hargreaves, referring to the scene of "rocket science" of a very different sort. The Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, on the fringe of Namadgi National Park, is best known for housing the radio telescopes operated by the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, part of NASA's Deep Space Network.

 

"It is hoped that eventually the kangaroos will be administered with the fertility control agent through their food," Hargreaves said.

 

"Realistically, to deal with wild animals, it has to be oral," Fletcher explained, noting special problems involved in distributing an oral contraceptive that will be exposed to ultraviolet radiation from intense sunlight and in coping with kangaroos' strong stomach acids.

 

"The ACT government, which administers Canberra and is funding the research, is reluctant to use shooters to thin the kangaroo population because of the risk posed to humans in built-up areas and the cruelty objections raised by animal welfare groups," said Associated Press.

 

Simone Gray of ACT Animal Liberation praised the initiative.

 

"Australia is the largest wildlife killer in the world. We're killing more wildlife than anyone," Gray said. "Fertility control is a sensible alternative for stopping the slaughter."

 

The ACT/Newcastle University project contrasts with the effort of a scientific team in Victoria to develop a specific-specific poison to kill feral cats.

 

"We're at the forefront of coming up with the first technique to control feral cats over broad areas," researcher Michael Johnston told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in August 2005. "Currently we're limited to using techniques such as shooting or trapping."