British squirrel gets contraceptive pill: An idea for Dutch animals too?

The gray squirrel causes a lot of damage in the UK. That’s why it was decided to put the animal on the pill. This approach has been used for some time in other countries; There are also pigeons, horses and elephants that get sterilized through food or vaccination.

To hunt

In the Netherlands, large populations are prevented by poachers. Two million animals are shot each year, including roe deer, red deer, barren deer and wild boar. These animals have no natural enemies in the Netherlands.

Hunter Goan von Weildon tries to control the number of wild boars in Millspeak, Limburg. “They reproduce quickly and cause a lot of agricultural damage here. They end up on the road and cause accidents.”

It is difficult to feed

He could not have imagined that the tablet would be an option for pigs. “I know how hard it is to shoot wild boars with a bullet. Feed them a pill. I do not know how to do it.”

According to breeding expert Tom Stout, this is really hard work. However, other animals can be sterilized. “For some animals it’s definitely an option. It depends on the animal and how accessible it is.

Scattering

Spreading the pill in the woods is not an option; It is dangerous because other animals eat it too. In this way, other animals may also become infertile.

Ferdinand Woolridge

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