Forum split on contraceptive jabs for Thailand's wild elephants
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Forum split on contraceptive jabs for Thailand's wild elephants

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Members of the Soo Phua Chang (Fighting for Elephants) Network last week protest at the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry against its plan to use birth control injections on wild elephant. (Photo supplied)
Members of the Soo Phua Chang (Fighting for Elephants) Network last week protest at the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry against its plan to use birth control injections on wild elephant. (Photo supplied)

The Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) on Friday held a forum on the use of contraceptive vaccines to control the population of wild elephants and tackle the issue of the animals wandering outside conservation areas.

The forum was attended by about 300 participants, including affected communities, academics, elephant conservation groups and MPs. Views were split. Some backed contraceptive vaccines, while others thought vaccination would not prevent wild elephants from encroaching on local communities.

DNP director-general Athapol Charoenshunsa said about 4,013–4,422 wild elephants live in 91 conservation areas nationwide. The issue of wild elephants wandering outside their reserved habitats affects communities in five forest complexes: the Western Forest, the Eastern Forest, the Dong Phaya Yen–Khao Yai Forest, the Phu Khieo–Nam Nao Forest and the Kaeng Krachan Forest.

Conflicts between humans and wild elephants have been reported in more than 41 conservation areas across 42 provinces.

Mr Athapol said wild elephants roaming outside forests have damaged agricultural and residential areas alike, sometimes resulting in human fatalities. Since 2012, wild elephants have caused 240 deaths and 208 casualties, he said. Mr Athapol said the need to solve the issue was urgent.

A committee on National Elephant Conservation and Management has set guidelines covering six areas: habitats for wild elephants; barriers against wild elephants; a monitoring and community network; assistance for affected people; sustainable management of areas to handle wild elephants; and controlling wild elephant populations with birth control vaccines.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Chalermchai Sri-on backs the use of vaccines as a means to control the elephant population. 

The department has worked with the Elephant and Wildlife Health Centre at Chiang Mai University to research the use of SpayVac contraceptive vaccines. These vaccines, previously used on African elephants, were tested in April 2024 on seven adult female elephants. Each vaccine dose was found to suppress hormonal functions for carrying babies for up to seven years and was proven not to affect elephants’ behaviour, Mr Athapol said.

Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn, head of the National Park Office, said the high cost of importing vaccines and the logistical challenges of using them may not be worth it. Vaccination procedures in wild animals are risky for both people and elephants and require skilled teams to carry out.

Mr Chaiwat said the vaccination project should be cancelled, and other options pursued, such as reclaiming habitats for these animals.

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