Bullet contraceptive for kangaroos

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 30

Bullet contraceptive for kangaroos

NZPA-AAP Melbourne A bullet contraceptive to cut kangaroo and wallaby overbreeding could be developed and marketed in Australia in a year, according to two Victorian agricultural scientists. The two researchers are now developing the contraceptive, called a bio-bullet, after successfully completing their first trials of three contraceptive methods. They now hoped to develop the vaccine used in the immunisation method into a lightweight .22 calibre bullet which would not harm kangaroos and wallabies. Successful development

depends on more funds. Dr Ted Stelmasiak, a senior veterinary research officer at the Victorian Agriculture Department, and Ms Simone van Mourik, a Melbourne University agricultural research fellow, have discussed the results of trials at the Barringo Wildlife Reserve near Gisborne, north of Melbourne.

The results have paved the way for the development of the bio-bullet during the next year, they said.

Dr Stelmasiak and Ms van Mourik successfully tested three methods of contraception on 18 eastern grey kangaroos, red kangaroos, and Bennett’s wallabies. Of the three methods — administration of progestins in female animals, immunisation of both male and female animals, and vasectomy of male animals — immunisation was found to be the most effective and practical. They were now hoping to develop the “bio-bul-let”, Dr Stelmasiak said. The animal would need to be immunised only once, but to be effective and painless, a bio-bullet would have to penetrate a muscle.

The bio-bullet was a “very new concept in drug administration to wild and domestic animals,” now being used in the United States. 1 The United States biobullet, developed by a company called BallistiVet, could only be fired from air guns within a range of 0.5 to 16m, he said.

To be useful for Kangaroo control in Australia it would have to be modified for use in a .22 rifle to give it greater range. “If successful this technique could also be applied for population control of feral animals such as pigs, goats, and deer,” Dr Stelmasiak said. Both researchers said they would be unable to make substantial progress in developing the technique unless they received about $50,000. The Australian Government had refused to support testing of the contraceptive methods because they were “a long shot”, Dr Stelmasiak said.

He was optimistic that, another approach for Federal funds would succeed, but would seek private sector funds if the Government again refused to help.