The use of contraceptive hormones delivered through artificial feed is emerging as a potential tool for managing wildlife populations, particularly in efforts to control long-tailed macaques.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said early findings from an ongoing study indicate that the method could help regulate macaque numbers more humanely.
The research, conducted by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) in collaboration with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), began in 2021 as a three-year initiative to develop a non-invasive oral contraceptive for free-living macaques (Macaca fascicularis).
“The aim of the study is to determine an effective oral contraceptive hormone dosage as a humane wildlife management measure,” Johari said in a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat.
“Initial results show that administering contraceptive hormones through artificial feed is a viable option and demonstrates potential in controlling macaque populations.”
He added that a comprehensive follow-up study will be carried out in 2026 to evaluate the method’s effectiveness before it is considered for formal implementation.
Johari was responding to Hassan Saad (PN–Baling), who requested an update on the study and its viability as a more humane approach to wildlife population control.
