<p>The rising incidents of human-wildlife conflict have necessitated a discussion on animal birth control, Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/eshwar-khandre">Eshwar Khandre</a> said on Wednesday, as he called for wider debates on the issue among the public as well as the experts.</p><p>The minister broached the subject while speaking to the media about the concerns regarding the death of a person who was trampled by a wild elephant in Srimangala on Wednesday, adding to a series of casualties over the last two months.</p><p>Khandre said the population of some species was rising exponentially and there was a need to check such growth. "We need to protect wildlife as well as people by preventing harm to both," he said, stressing the need to explore birth-control measures for wild animals.</p><p>While the minister did not mention any particular species, a senior official clarified that the department was looking at immunocontraception of elephants and exploring a viable but humane birth control for leopards.</p>.Modern technology is used to curb man-animal conflict in Karnataka: Eshwar Khandre.<p>He sought to clarify that the proposal was just an idea and not a decision. He noted that the government was exploring other options like an elephant soft-release centre. The idea of birth control needs discussion, he said.</p><p>"The matter is before the Supreme Court. A meeting has to be held with senior officials on consulting experts and legal pundits before making a submission before the apex court," he added.</p><p>The matter of animal birth control, particularly for elephants, came to the fore a decade ago when an NGO proposed a pilot project for an experiment to find out the possibility and suitability of immunocontraception drugs for Asian elephants. Immunocontraception has been tried in South Africa but the Supreme Court passed a restraining order in 2014.</p><p>Ever since, officials and ministers have occasionally talked about filing an appeal before the apex court to lift the restraining order by citing the increasing population of the elephants. Leopards and elephants have been seen as major contributors to conflict situations.</p><p>While a reliable leopard population estimation is yet to be made, Karnataka's elephant population stood at 6013 as of last year accounting for one fourth of the population in India (22,446). The pachyderms account for the death of an average of 30 people every year since 2010.</p>
<p>The rising incidents of human-wildlife conflict have necessitated a discussion on animal birth control, Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/eshwar-khandre">Eshwar Khandre</a> said on Wednesday, as he called for wider debates on the issue among the public as well as the experts.</p><p>The minister broached the subject while speaking to the media about the concerns regarding the death of a person who was trampled by a wild elephant in Srimangala on Wednesday, adding to a series of casualties over the last two months.</p><p>Khandre said the population of some species was rising exponentially and there was a need to check such growth. "We need to protect wildlife as well as people by preventing harm to both," he said, stressing the need to explore birth-control measures for wild animals.</p><p>While the minister did not mention any particular species, a senior official clarified that the department was looking at immunocontraception of elephants and exploring a viable but humane birth control for leopards.</p>.Modern technology is used to curb man-animal conflict in Karnataka: Eshwar Khandre.<p>He sought to clarify that the proposal was just an idea and not a decision. He noted that the government was exploring other options like an elephant soft-release centre. The idea of birth control needs discussion, he said.</p><p>"The matter is before the Supreme Court. A meeting has to be held with senior officials on consulting experts and legal pundits before making a submission before the apex court," he added.</p><p>The matter of animal birth control, particularly for elephants, came to the fore a decade ago when an NGO proposed a pilot project for an experiment to find out the possibility and suitability of immunocontraception drugs for Asian elephants. Immunocontraception has been tried in South Africa but the Supreme Court passed a restraining order in 2014.</p><p>Ever since, officials and ministers have occasionally talked about filing an appeal before the apex court to lift the restraining order by citing the increasing population of the elephants. Leopards and elephants have been seen as major contributors to conflict situations.</p><p>While a reliable leopard population estimation is yet to be made, Karnataka's elephant population stood at 6013 as of last year accounting for one fourth of the population in India (22,446). The pachyderms account for the death of an average of 30 people every year since 2010.</p>