Durban - In a bid to control burgeoning animal populations, a KZN conservation park has implemented the use of a novel new contraceptive procedure.
iSimangaliso Wetland Park made the announcement in a press statement, sharing details of the unilateral hysterectomies performed on some of the latest arrivals: three lionesses.
The pioneering procedure was developed by wildlife veterinarian Dr Mike Toft two years ago.
He performed the procedure on the park’s three lionesses. The process involves the removal of an entire “horn” of the uterus to decrease the space for implantation of fertilised eggs. Unlike human wombs, dogs and members of the cat family have two “horns” to house large litters.
Toft added that lionesses operated on two years ago had produced one to two cubs as opposed to between four and five cubs a litter. He has operated on 14 animals so far.
“Lions breed like rabbits. Their population grows in a confined area like a private reserve and they eat everything up. They are not like dogs, where you can pass them on to other owners to look after. They end up breeding in their new homes as well, and then have to be culled, which we want to avoid.”
The park explained that the big cats had a high breeding rate and, in order to avoid the future challenge of overpopulation in a fenced conservation area, the contraceptive procedure had to be performed.
Toft said that lions had a 90-day gestational period and that it was advisable to have the procedure done when the lioness was between the age of 18 months and two years old.
He said that in the past, parks had used a contraceptive injection called Deslorelin, but it had prevented procreation.
“The lionesses became incredibly fat and did not have a normal reproductive cycle. Because the purpose of a pride is to stay together and continue the line, the treatment ended up destroying pride structures. They no longer had a reason to stay together.”
He said that the impact on tourism was also negated because visitors still got to see cubs.
He explained that the procedure itself was simple and involved the making of a small incision on the lioness’s abdomen.
The animals healed in about a week to 10 days and the procedure did not employ the use of external sutures, but used a tissue glue instead.
“We also give them painkillers and antibiotics, but they really don’t seem bothered by it. I saw a group I had done recently that climbed up into a tree the day after the procedure.”
He said he had performed the operation on all three lionesses simultaneously, which took three to four hours.
“The operation takes 40 minutes per animal, but the rest of the time is taken to put them on a drip, hook them to a monitor, shave the area and give them a gas anaesthetic.
“It’s an open-air theatre, out in the bush.”
Monitoring
He said that he would not be rolling it out to other parks at this stage and was still researching how safe it was for the lions.
“We haven’t had any problems thus far but we are still monitoring the animals’ progress.”
He said wild dogs could also possibly be considered for similar procedures.
The procedure resulted in a small incision that was stitched and then glued, allowing healing to occur naturally in the open bushveld.
Once operated on, the lionesses were released into the holding bomas for a recovery period of a couple of weeks.
The lions had been introduced to the park in December, after a 44-year absence.
“A phased introduction was undertaken with an initial lioness and three cubs followed by two males several months later. The third and final complement was that of three lionesses translocated from Tembe Elephant Park in June 2014. From this founder population of nine will grow the new generation of felines in iSimangaliso,” said the park in the statement.
This growth, explained the park, had to be controlled.
The project forms part of a greater effort to reintroduce all the original species which once roamed the park’s uMhkuze section freely.
To date, iSimangaliso has introduced numerous species into various sections of the park, including black and white rhino, wild dog, cheetah, lion, buffalo, oribi, tsessebe, giraffe, elephant and waterbuck.
Eland, one of the largest species of antelope, will also soon be reintroduced to the area.
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