Thailand has begun administering a birth control vaccine to wild elephants in an effort to manage the growing conflict between humans and the animals as their habitats shrink. The initiative targets areas where confrontations have become increasingly deadly, with official figures showing that wild elephants killed 30 people and injured 29 last year, along with more than 2,000 incidents of crop damage.
The vaccine, produced in the United States, prevents pregnancy for up to seven years by stopping eggs from being fertilised, without halting ovulation. A two-year trial on seven domesticated elephants yielded promising results, and in late January, three wild elephants in eastern Trat province received the vaccine. Authorities are now selecting further target areas for the remaining 15 doses.
Sukhee Boonsang, director of the Wildlife Conservation Office, said controlling the population has become necessary as the number of wild elephants near residential areas rises sharply. About 800 of Thailand's approximately 4,400 wild elephants live in conflict-prone zones, where the birth rate is 8.2% per year—more than double the national average of 3.5%.
The programme has drawn criticism from those who fear it may undermine conservation efforts, but Sukhee stressed that it only targets areas with the highest rates of violent human-elephant conflict. Additional measures include creating food and water sources in forests, constructing protective fencing, and deploying rangers to guide stray elephants back into the wild.
Meanwhile, a court-ordered relocation of wild elephants in Khon Kaen province earlier this month ended in tragedy when one elephant died from choking after being anaesthetised. Officials expressed regret and launched an investigation, insisting that protocol was followed correctly.
