What methods of contraception do they use in zoos?
There can be several methods of preventing animals breeding in zoos. The simplest is to separate males from females when the females are in oestrus. If the animals are never going to be bred from, say because of a genetic fault that might be passed on to offspring, the animal will be neutered or spayed (however, note that male lions are given vasectomies rather than being castrated, because a castrated lion’s mane falls out!). Animals are often given a contraceptive impant – a device that is inserted under the skin of the female, which continually releases a contraceptive compound. Some animals are given oral contraceptives similar to the pill we humans use – this is often done with primates, which can usually be persuaded to eat a small amount of a favourite food in which the pill has been hidden. The intra-uterine device used by humans (commonly called ‘the coil’) has been tried in some apes, but chimps have been known to pull them out by inserting fingers into themselves, so this me
