JWD
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 41(4), 2005, pp. 758-767
© Wildlife Disease Association  2005
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Baker, D. L.
Right arrow Articles by Nett, T. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Baker, D. L.
Right arrow Articles by Nett, T. M.

EVALUATION OF REMOTELY DELIVERED LEUPROLIDE ACETATE AS A CONTRACEPTIVE AGENT IN FEMALE ELK (CERVUS ELAPHUS NELSONI)

Dan L. Baker1,6, Margaret A. Wild2, Muhammad D. Hussain3, Richard L. Dunn4 and Terry M. Nett5

1 Colorado Division of Wildlife, Research Center, 317 West Prospect, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA
2 National Park Service, Biological Resource Management Division, 1201 Oak Ridge Dr., Suite 200, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525, USA
3 School of Pharmacy, Department 3375, 1000 East University Avenue, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA
4 Atrix Laboratories, Incorporated, 2579 Midpoint Dr., Fort Collins, Colorado 80525, USA
5 Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
6 Corresponding author (email: dan.baker{at}state.co.us)

ABSTRACT:   Practical application of fertility control technology in free-ranging wild ungulates often requires remote delivery of the contraceptive agent. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the potential of remote delivery of leuprolide acetate for suppressing fertility in female elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni). Fifteen captive adult female elk were randomly allocated to one of three experimental groups. Six elk were injected intramuscularly with a dart containing leuprolide, and the remaining nine elk received the same formulation without leuprolide. We determined pregnancy rates, suppression of luteinizing hormone (LH) and progesterone concentrations, and reversibility of treatments during 1 August 2002 to 3 September 2003. Leuprolide formulation caused a decrease in concentrations of LH and progesterone, temporary suppression of ovulation and steroidogenesis, and effective contraception (100%) for one breeding season. These results extend the practical application of this contraceptive agent to include dart delivery, where in the absence of such technology, wild elk must first be captured and restrained before treatment.
  Key words:  Cervus elaphus nelsoni, contraception, elk, GnRH agonist, leuprolide, luteinizing hormone, remote drug delivery, reproduction.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2005 by the Wildlife Disease Association.