Alternatives to "Shoot First" Wildlife Management

Wildlife population management seems to take a "shoot first, don't ask questions" approach these days, especially during hunting season. Though culling hasn't proven to be an effective method, are there any other options? In theory, wildlife takes care of itself, but when humans have encroached on habitat and wiped out natural predators, there's nothing to keep the species populations in balance.

The other common cause of wildlife overpopulation is when non-native species are introduced to a habitat where they throw off the ecological system. Exploding populations quickly exceed resources, leading to mass starvation and rapidly spreading illnesses. If left unchecked, the dominant species tends to decimate the environment, threatening the biodiversity and all of the other animals who rely on that habitat, too. (Yes, this is the tale of what humans have done to the earth, too.)

Some people have suggested that reintroducing predators to a habitat could tip the scales back into balance. Except you can't just take a mountain lion from Wyoming and relocate it to New England. Predators tend to have very specific ranges, and can't just learn to live in a different climate with different prey and disease exposure. The reverse is also true: the newcomer might introduce disease and environmental destruction to his new home. Not only that, but in most of these places, the urban sprawl that led to the decline of the predators in the first place is still there, and still a threat. With so few breeding populations of natural predators left, we can't risk moving them across the country for a failed experiment.

In Defense of Animals has relocated non-native species to sanctuaries in the past with some success. But they can't collect every animal, due to both logistics and finances. And, reproduction has a way of reoccurring ... so, as with culling, they end up back where they started every couple of years.

IDA's newest experiment is putting bison on birth control. In partnership with the Catalina Island Conservancy, IDA is giving the females of a Northern California non-native herd a contraception vaccine, using antibodies to block fertilization. If it works, the bison population will reach a sustainable level. Since it's non-hormonal, it doesn't change their behavior or lifestyle in the process. It sounds a lot like Trap-Neuter-Release programs used on feral cat colonies, except Trap-Vaccinate-Release takes a lot less time and money. If it turns out to be as effective as it is efficient, this could prove to be an affordable alternative to calling in the hunters.

Photo credit: tinyfroglet