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Alberta gets federal approval to test birth control vaccine on wild horses
The research authorization could help curb Alberta’s highest-ever wild horse count, with 2,072 animals recorded this year, officials said.
- On Wednesday, Health Canada confirmed it authorized the use of the contraceptive vaccine SpayVac-Equid for wild horses in Alberta, following a research authorization granted in late August.
- The Alberta government says horse populations in management zones like Sundre and Clearwater have reached "unacceptable" levels, with the province's latest survey counting 2,072 wild horses, described as not ecologically sustainable.
- Unlike the previous dart-administered ZonaStat-H, which cost $1,180 per dose, the new vaccine requires hand administration but eliminates the need for booster shots, according to Wild Horses of Alberta Society president Jack Nichol.
- Partnering with University of Calgary veterinary students, the society plans to capture mares to administer the vaccine before releasing them, aiming to curb population growth without drastic removal measures.
- Federal officials emphasized that this research authorization permits studying the vaccine in feral horses but "does not constitute approval for general use," while monitoring continues for three years for adverse reactions.
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Alberta gets federal approval to test birth control vaccine on wild horses
Health Canada says it has approved the use of a birth control vaccine to be tested on free-roaming horses in Alberta. The provincial government has said wild horse populations in parts of Alberta have reached levels not considered ecologically sustainable. Those areas are in the western part of the province and include the Sundre, Ghost River, Elbow River […]
·Toronto, Canada
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Alberta gets federal approval to test birth control vaccine on wild horses
The Alberta government will work with the Wild Horses of Alberta Society to use contraception for horse population control this fall, with Health Canada granting a research authorization for a birth control vaccine in August.
·Ottawa, Canada
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Total News Sources12
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution70% Center
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources are Center
70% Center
L 30%
C 70%
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