Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference

Managing wildlife populations by manipulating their birth rates is a promising technology. However, the use of contraceptive technologies will involve the development of new wildlife management policies. We designed and implemented a survey that was intended to gather information on the range of perspectives of concerned publics on contraceptive use in wildlife management. There appears to be considerable confusion and mistrust regarding the application and appropriateness of this new technology. We recommend that promoters of contraception use in wildlife management be careful to explain what this new technology can and cannot do in order to avoid the pitfalls associated with trying to deliver false promises.