News Release
October 2006   

Expert to Address the use of Contraception to Control Wildlife Populations

Bethlehem, Pa., October 13, 2006—Wildlife expert Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick will present fascinating and controversial lecture at Moravian College titled The Evolution and Future of Wildlife Contraception.  The talk will be held on Thursday, October 26 at 4 p.m. in Dana Lecture Hall.

Kirkpatrick will elaborate on the use of porcine zona pellucida (PZP) as a contraceptive for wild and zoo animals; alternate methods of contraceptives and immunocontraceptives for domestic animals; and contraception as a tool to manage white-tailed deer populations.  PZP is a chemical produced by pig ovaries that can be delivered by shot or dart, and when injected into other female animals will create antibodies to prevent fertilization.  After the initial injection and booster, its effects can be maintained by a booster dose each year.  When the booster regime is discontinued, the animal will regain its natural fertility.

Kirkpatrick is a native of rural Bucks County, and earned his Ph.D. in reproductive physiology from New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. He has been conducting research on fertility control for wild horses and other wildlife for more than 34 years.  His dedication to his field has resulted in contraceptive applications to wild animals all around the world and his work with wild horses has expanded to elephants, white-tailed deer, water buffalo, bison, elk, zoo animals, and more than 110 species of exotic animals. In 2001, the reproductive biology laboratory for the new veterinary center at Kruger National Park in South Africa was dedicated in his name. In 2002, Kirkpatrick was honored by the National Park Service as Researcher of the Year, Northeast Region, for his contraceptive work with the Assateague wild horses, and in 2004 he was awarded the Montana Academy of Science’s Mershon Award for outstanding contributions in the field of science in Montana. Presently Kirkpatrick serves as director of science and conservation at ZooMontana,

The presentation is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a discussion session with the audience.  Dana Lecture Hall is located in the Collier Hall of Science, at the corner of Main and Locust Streets in Bethlehem.  For more information, call 610 861-1491.