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Stowe CJ, White H. Characteristics of potential adopters of wild horses and their willingness-to-pay for wild horses. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38368564 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2024.2317278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
An overabundance of wild horses and burros on federal lands can lead to suboptimal welfare when there are insufficient forage and water resources. Placing some of these animals in private homes has been identified as a key part of the solution. A nationwide online survey completed by 2,247 current and former horse owners is used to assess the feasibility of accommodating this strategy. The survey tool addressed basic horse ownership and demographic information, previous experience with wild horses, and hypothetical wild horse adoption scenarios. Results suggest that most respondents are receptive to the idea of adopting a wild horse, with previous adopters and younger potential adopters showing greater willingness-to-pay. By reducing existing barriers to adoption, which includes educating the horse-owning public on adoption requirements, expanding the training of wild horses, and targeting certain age groups of potential adopters, our study suggests that it may be possible to increase the annual number of adoptions over current levels. With appropriate and informed strategies, enhanced welfare of privately adopted and on-range animals can be achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Jill Stowe
- Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Hannah White
- Equine Science and Management, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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Home off the Range: The Role of Wild Horse Internet Adoptions in Informing Sustainable Western United State Rangeland Management. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su12010279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), there are about 60,000 more wild horses and burros roaming the rangelands in the western United States than the land can sustain. While the BLM is pursuing a number of strategies to address this imbalance, placing wild horses and burros in private homes is one of the most preferred options. However, little is known about the demand for wild horses. This paper utilizes data from internet adoptions of wild horses to better understand the demand side of the market. More specifically, results from a Heckman selection model provide estimates of the market value of various characteristics of wild horses. By describing adopter preferences, these estimates can aid policy makers in optimizing strategies to manage the wild horse population.
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A. S. V, Dhama K, Chakraborty S, Abdul Samad H, K. Latheef S, Sharun K, Khurana SK, K. A, Tiwari R, Bhatt P, K. V, Chaicumpa W. Role of Antisperm Antibodies in Infertility, Pregnancy, and Potential forContraceptive and Antifertility Vaccine Designs: Research Progress and Pioneering Vision. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:E116. [PMID: 31527552 PMCID: PMC6789593 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7030116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm of humans, non-human primates, and other mammalian subjects is considered to be antigenic. The effect of changes in autoimmunity on reproductive cells such as spermatozoa and oocytes play a critical but indistinct role in fertility. Antisperm antibodies (ASAs) are invariably present in both females and males. However, the degree of ASA occurrence may vary according to individual and gender. Although the extent of infertility due to ASAs alone is yet to be determined, it has been found in almost 9-12% of patients who are infertile due to different causes. Postcoital presence of spermatozoa in the reproductive tract of women is not a contributory factor in ASA generation. However, ASA generation may be induced by trauma to the vaginal mucosa, or by anal or oral sex resulting in the deposition of sperm inside the digestive tract. It is strongly believed that, in humans and other species, at least some antibodies may bind to sperm antigens, causing infertility. This form of infertility is termed as immunological infertility, which may be accompanied by impairment of fertility, even in individuals with normozoospermia. Researchers target ASAs for two major reasons: (i) to elucidate the association between ASAs and infertility, the reason ASAs causes infertility, and the mechanism underlying ASA-mediated infertility; and (ii) to assess the potential of ASAs as a contraceptive in humans in case ASAs influences infertility. Therefore, this review explores the potential application of ASAs in the development of anti-spermatozoa vaccines for contraceptive purposes. The usefulness of ASAs for diagnosing obstructive azoospermia, salpingitis, and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia has been reviewed extensively. Important patents pertaining to potential candidates for spermatozoa-derived vaccines that may be utilized as contraceptives are discussed in depth. Antifertility vaccines, as well as treatments for ASA-related infertility, are also highlighted. This review will address many unresolved issues regarding mechanisms involving ASAs in the diagnosis, as well as prognoses, of male infertility. More documented scientific reports are cited to support the mechanisms underlying the potential role of ASA in infertility. The usefulness of sperm antigens or ASAs (recombinant) in human and wild or captive animal contraceptive vaccines has been revealed through research but is yet to be validated via clinical testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vickram A. S.
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Young Scientist DST-SERB, Govt. of India, Saveetha Institute of Technical and Medical Sciences, Chennai 600077, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India;
| | - Sandip Chakraborty
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, R.K. Nagar, West Tripura 799008, India;
| | - Hari Abdul Samad
- Division of Physiology and Climatology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India;
| | - Shyma K. Latheef
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India;
| | - Khan Sharun
- Division of Surgery, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India;
| | - Sandip Kumar Khurana
- ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Sirsa Road, Hisar 125001, Haryana, India;
| | - Archana K.
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India; (A.K.); (V.K.)
| | - Ruchi Tiwari
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Deen Dayal Upadhayay Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalay Evum Go-Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura 281001, India;
| | - Prakash Bhatt
- Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar 263145 (Udham Singh Nagar), Uttarakhand, India;
| | - Vyshali K.
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India; (A.K.); (V.K.)
| | - Wanpen Chaicumpa
- Center of Research Excellence on Therapeutic Proteinsand Antibody Engineering, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
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Kuninaga N, Asano M, Matsuyama R, Minemoto T, Mori T, Suzuki M. Serological and histological evaluation of species-specific immunocontraceptive vaccine antigens based on zona pellucida 3 in the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus). J Vet Med Sci 2019; 81:328-337. [PMID: 30587673 PMCID: PMC6395204 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.17-0605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) was introduced to
Japanese islands and has impacted on the island’s biodiversity. Population control has
been attempted through capturing but its efficiency has rapidly declined. Therefore, new
additional control methods are required. Our focus has been on the immunocontraceptive
vaccines, which act in an especially species-specific manner. The amino-acid sequence of
the mongoose ovum zona pellucida protein 3 (ZP3) was decoded and two types of synthetic
peptides (A and B) were produced. In this study, these peptides were administered to
mongooses (each n=3) and the sera were collected to verify immunogenicity using ELISA and
IHC. Treated mongoose sera showed an increasing of antibody titer according to
immunizations and the antigen-antibody reactions against the endogenous mongoose ZP. In
addition, IHC revealed that immune sera absorbed with each peptide showed a marked
reduction in reactivity, which indicated the specificity of induced antibodies. These
reactions were marked in peptide A treated mongoose sera, and the antibody titer of one of
them lasted for at least 21 weeks. These results indicated that peptide A was a potential
antigen, inducing autoantibody generation. Moreover, immunized rabbit antibodies
recognized mongoose ZP species-specifically. However, the induction of robust immune
memory was not observed. Also, the actual sterility effects of peptides remain unknown, it
should be verified as a next step. In any case, this study verified synthetic peptides we
developed are useful as the antigen candidates for immunocontraception of mongooses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naotoshi Kuninaga
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Makoto Asano
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.,Joint Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Ryota Matsuyama
- Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 15 Jo Nishi 7 Chome, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0808, Japan
| | - Takahiro Minemoto
- Graduated from Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Takayuki Mori
- Graduated from Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Masatsugu Suzuki
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.,Joint Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
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Nolan MB, Schulman ML, Botha AE, Human AM, Roth R, Crampton MC, Bertschinger HJ. Serum antibody immunoreactivity and safety of native porcine and recombinant zona pellucida vaccines formulated with a non-Freund’s adjuvant in horses. Vaccine 2019; 37:1299-1306. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.01.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Hobbs RJ, Hinds LA. Could current fertility control methods be effective for landscape-scale management of populations of wild horses (Equus caballus) in Australia? WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/wr17136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Fertility control is seen as an attractive alternative to lethal methods for control of population size and genetic diversity in managed animal populations. Immunocontraceptive vaccines have emerged as the most promising agents for inducing long-term infertility in individual animals. However, after over 20 years of scientific testing of immunocontraceptive vaccines in the horse, the scientific consensus is that their application as a sole management approach for reducing population size is not an effective strategy.
Aims
The purpose of this review is to evaluate currently available non-lethal fertility-control methods that have been tested for their contraceptive efficacy in Equidae, and to assess their suitability for effective management of wild (feral) horses in an Australian setting.
Key results
(1) Fertility-control agents, particularly injectable immunocontraceptive vaccines based on porcine zona pellucida (PZP) or gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), can induce multi-year infertility (up to 3 years) in the horse. Some formulations require annual or biennial booster treatments. Remote dart delivery (on foot) to horses is possible, although the efficacy of this approach when applied to large numbers of animals is yet to be determined. (2) The proportion of females that must be treated with a fertility-control agent, as well as the frequency of treatment required to achieve defined management outcomes (i.e. halting population growth in the short term and reducing population size in the long term) is likely to be >50% per annum. In national parks, treatment of a large number of wild horses over such a broad area would be challenging and impractical. (3) Fertility control for wild horses could be beneficial, but only if employed in conjunction with other broad-scale population-control practices to achieve population reduction and to minimise environmental impacts.
Conclusions
In Australia, most populations of wild horses are large, dispersed over varied and difficult-to-access terrain, are timid to approach and open to immigration and introductions. These factors make accessing and effectively managing animals logistically difficult. If application of fertility control could be achieved in more than 50% of the females, it could be used to slow the rate of increase in a population to zero (2–5 years), but it will take more than 10–20 years before population size will begin to decline without further intervention. Thus, use of fertility control as the sole technique for halting population growth is not feasible in Australia.
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Hall SE, Nixon B, Aitken RJ. Non-surgical sterilisation methods may offer a sustainable solution to feral horse (Equus caballus) overpopulation. Reprod Fertil Dev 2017; 29:1655-1666. [DOI: 10.1071/rd16200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Feral horses are a significant pest species in many parts of the world, contributing to land erosion, weed dispersal and the loss of native flora and fauna. There is an urgent need to modify feral horse management strategies to achieve public acceptance and long-term population control. One way to achieve this is by using non-surgical methods of sterilisation, which are suitable in the context of this mobile and long-lived species. In this review we consider the benefits of implementing novel mechanisms designed to elicit a state of permanent sterility (including redox cycling to generate oxidative stress in the gonad, random peptide phage display to target non-renewable germ cells and the generation of autoantibodies against proteins essential for conception via covalent modification) compared with that of traditional immunocontraceptive approaches. The need for a better understanding of mare folliculogenesis and conception factors, including maternal recognition of pregnancy, is also reviewed because they hold considerable potential in providing a non-surgical mechanism for sterilisation. In conclusion, the authors contend that non-surgical measures that are single shot and irreversible may provide a sustainable and effective strategy for feral horse control.
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Naz RK, Saver AE. Immunocontraception for Animals: Current Status and Future Perspective. Am J Reprod Immunol 2015; 75:426-39. [PMID: 26412331 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
An alternative to surgical sterilization for fertility control of animals (wild, zoo, farm, and domestic) is needed to prevent problems related to overpopulation, including culling and relocation. A PubMed and Google Scholar database search was conducted using the keywords 'contraceptive vaccine animals,' 'immunocontraception animals,' 'non-surgical sterilization animals,' 'PZP vaccine,' and 'GnRH vaccine.' The searches from 1972 to 2015 yielded over 1500 publications. These articles were read, and 375 were selected for detailed analysis. Articles referenced in these publications were also thoroughly examined. PZP and GnRH contraceptive vaccines (CVs) have been extensively investigated for fertility control of wild, zoo, farm, and domestic animal populations. Both vaccines have shown tremendous success with PZP vaccines taking the lead. Novel technologies and targets are being developed to improve existing vaccines and generate second-generation CVs. Single-shot vaccines, which can be delivered remotely, will greatly advance the field of immunocontraception for animal use with potential human application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh K Naz
- Reproductive Immunology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Ashley E Saver
- Reproductive Immunology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
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