BENGAL'S ELEPHANT BIRTH CONTROL PROGRAMME CRITICISED

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Activists slam elephant birth control

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Sep 15, 2006

 

Wildlife groups have slammed a move by an Indian state to give

contraceptives to domesticated elephants to control their numbers saying it

would hurt the pachyderm population already under threat.

 

The eastern Indian state of West Bengal has said that it lacked funds for

the upkeep of elephants that it employs for patrolling sanctuaries, and will

start giving them birth control injections and pills from this month.

 

But the move has been criticised by wildlife groups who say the animals are

already under pressure due to increasing habitat destruction and poaching.

 

India has nearly half of the world's 60,000 Asian elephants. West Bengal

accounts for around 400 elephants, 65 of which are in captivity, some of

which are used by forest guards for patrolling wildlife sanctuaries.

 

" We spend over six million rupees ($197,000) on feeding and looking after

the elephants every year, " PT Bhutiya, a senior West Bengal forestry

official, told Reuters.

 

" And only 30 of them are used for protection (of sanctuaries), making it

necessary for us to try birth control measures, " he said, adding that there

were three to four new births annually.

 

Officials say veterinarians would give injections and pills to about a dozen

female elephants starting later this month.

 

But wildlife activists say authorities should release captive young bulls

into the wild or find alternative sources of funding, instead of preventing

them from reproducing.

 

" This is just a killing exercise and if the government cannot feed them they

should look for sponsors, " said Mukuta Mukherjee, coordinator of

environmental group Friends of Wetlands and Wildlife.

 

" With the population of elephants decreasing everyday, this move is

certainly not on. "

 

The World Wildlife Fund says 10 years ago India was home to around 50,000

elephants.

 

The elephants are increasingly threatened by poaching where illicit ivory

sales are being driven by growing demands from China, experts say.

 

In August, a cache of ivory tusks was recovered from poachers in West

Bengal, close to a sanctuary where the birth control project will be carried

out.