Health Canada has granted approval for the testing of a birth control vaccine on free-roaming horses in Alberta. The Alberta government deems it necessary to control horse populations to prevent them from overgrazing cattle and wildlife areas.
Contraception is part of the strategies outlined in Alberta’s feral horse management framework, alongside removal from the wild and adoption. A “research authorization” was obtained by the Alberta government for the use of the SpayVac-Equid contraception vaccine in late August, according to a Health Canada spokesperson.
The province’s latest feral horse survey revealed a record-high count of 2,072 wild horses in Alberta’s equine management zones this year. The Sundre, Ghost River, Elbow, and Clearwater zones were identified as having unsustainable population levels.
In a previous contraception pilot project launched in 2014 by the province and the Wild Horses of Alberta Society, a different vaccine called ZonaStat-H was used. The project found that contraception was costly and challenging due to the rugged terrain inhabited by the horses.
The new strategy involves capturing horses, administering the vaccine manually, and releasing them back into the wild marked. This method is reported to have a high success rate, prevent conception for several years, and not affect herd dynamics. The Wild Horses of Alberta Society aims to implement this contraception project in the fall as part of a comprehensive population control plan.
The society also focuses on rescuing, rehabilitating, and adopting out horses that stray onto private property. The Alberta government’s goal is to manage horse populations to satisfy various land users while keeping the horses on the land.