title: Finding the Balance: Fertility Control for the Management of Fragmented Populations of a Threatened Rock-Wallaby Species.
abstract: Populations of Australian marsupials can become overabundant, resulting in detrimental impacts on the environment. For example, the threatened black-flanked rock-wallaby ( Petrogale lateralis lateralis ) has previously been perceived as overabundant and thus 'unwanted' when they graze crops and cause habitat degradation. Hormonally-induced fertility control has been increasingly used to manage population size in other marsupials where alternative management options are not viable. We tested whether deslorelin, a superagonist of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), would suppress reproduction in free-living adult female rock-wallabies without adversely impacting body condition. We trapped, synchronised reproduction and allocated female rock-wallabies to a placebo implant (control, n = 22), one (n = 22) or two (n = 20) subcutaneous implants of deslorelin. Females were then recaptured over the following 36 months to monitor reproduction, including Luteinising Hormone levels, and body condition. Following treatment, diapaused blastocysts reactivated in five females and the resulting young were carried through to weaning. No wallabies treated with deslorelin, conceivede a new young for at least 27 months. We did not observe adverse effects on body condition on treated females. We conclude that deslorelin implants are effective for the medium-term suppression of reproduction in female black-flanked rock-wallabies and for managing overabundant populations of some marsupials.
authors.affiliation: School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, M092, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. nicole.willers@dpaw.wa.gov.au.|Department of Parks and Wildlife, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983, Australia. nicole.willers@dpaw.wa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Willers
authors.affiliation: School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, M092, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. graeme.martin@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Graeme B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Perth Zoo, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia. phill.matson@fertilitynorth.com.au.
authors.forename: Phill
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matson
authors.affiliation: School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, M092, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. peter.mawson@perthzoo.wa.gov.au.|Perth Zoo, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia. peter.mawson@perthzoo.wa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Mawson
authors.affiliation: Department of Parks and Wildlife, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983, Australia. keith.morris@dpaw.wa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, M092, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. Roberta.Bencini@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bencini
keywords: Petrogale lateralis; Rock-wallaby; deslorelin; fertility control; free-living; hormonal implants; overabundance; wildlife management