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Jun

14

2007
 
 

What are we putting in our tigers?



Contraceptive implants have long-term impact on zoo tiger reproduction love catsYou might think that stopping tigers from breeding is the last thing we’d want, but for zoos the world over, making sure that only the right animals get to do the business -- genetically speaking -- is the top priority. Consequently, female tigers Panthera tigris are often given a contraceptive implant to allow them a full social life without, er, getting into trouble. However, a study published recently in Zoo Biology raises concerns that having an implant might do long term damage to a tiger’s prospects of getting pregnant. A group led by St. Louis Zoo biologist Cheri Asa found that females often struggled to conceive even after the implant had been surgically removed. For critically endangered species, such as Amur or Sumatran tigers, messing about with female’s reproductive abilities is potentially disastrous, but given the drastic alternatives (such as surgical removal of ovaries) a contraceptive implant is undoubtedly the lesser evil. Source: Chuei JY, Asa CS, Hall-Woods M, Ballou J & Traylor-Holzer K (2007) Restoration of reproductive potential after expiration or removal of melengestrol acetate contraceptive implants in tigers (Panthera tigris). Zoo Biology DOI: 10.1002/zoo.20137 Image © Nicolas Delafraye

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