TRAT – For the first time, Thai wildlife authorities have administered contraceptive vaccines to female wild elephants as part of a new initiative to manage population growth and reduce human-elephant conflict.

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The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, in collaboration with Chiang Mai University, vaccinated three female elephants in Bo Rai district, Trat province, on January 25.

The program responds to a rapid increase in the wild elephant population in eastern forest areas, which grew from 334 in 2015 to 799 in 2025—an annual growth rate of about 8.2%. As forest resources have dwindled, elephants have increasingly entered communities in search of food, resulting in 141 human deaths, 170 injuries, and widespread agricultural damage since 2012.

The vaccine, developed specifically for elephants, works by stimulating the immune system to prevent fertilization and does not involve sterilization or surgery. It is reversible and prevents pregnancy for up to seven years; fertility returns naturally if no booster is given.

Thailand has, for the first time, administered contraceptive vaccines to female wild elephants, as part of an initiative to control the elephant population safely and promote sustainable coexistence between humans and elephants.

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Sukhee Boonsang, director of the Wildlife Conservation Office, stated that the vaccine has been tested on African elephants and seven captive Thai elephants with 100% safety and no side effects.

The three elephants were darted without anesthesia in the Khlong Kaew Waterfall National Park area. The team will monitor them for 48 hours and collect blood and fecal samples every six to eight months over seven years to assess immune response.

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The approach aims to balance elephant welfare with ecological capacity, preventing overpopulation that could lead to resource shortages, road accidents, electrocution, and continued human-elephant conflict. Authorities hope the measure will support sustainable coexistence between communities and elephants.

-Thailand News (TN)