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Long-Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) Contraception Methods: A Systematic Review.
Muhammed Mikail1,2, Tengku Rinalfi Putra Tengku Azizan1,2, Mohd Hezmee Mohd Noor1
1Department of Veterinary Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia.
Biology
|June 28, 2023
Summary
Wildlife contraception offers a humane alternative to lethal population control. This review explores macaque contraception, highlighting its potential despite challenges in effectiveness and application for wild populations.
Area of Science:
- Wildlife Management
- Reproductive Biology
- Conservation Science
Background:
- Conventional wildlife population control methods like culling are often lethal and unethical.
- Contraception presents a humane and potentially effective alternative for managing overabundant wildlife populations.
- Long-tailed macaques (Cynomolgus monkeys) face population control challenges, necessitating humane solutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing literature on contraception methods for long-tailed macaques (Cynomolgus monkeys).
- To assess the potential of macaque contraception as an alternative to traditional, lethal population control strategies.
- To identify challenges and knowledge gaps in the application of contraception for long-tailed macaque population management.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across major scientific databases (CABI, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus).
- PRISMA guidelines were followed for screening and selecting relevant studies.
- Nineteen articles meeting eligibility criteria were analyzed, focusing on hormonal and non-hormonal contraception in both male and female long-tailed macaques.
Main Results:
- Fifteen studies focused on female macaque contraception (6 hormonal, 9 non-hormonal), with one reporting negative results.
- Four studies investigated male macaque contraception (2 hormonal, 2 non-hormonal).
- Most studies (17/19) utilized captive macaques, with only two using free-ranging individuals, highlighting a significant research gap.
Conclusions:
- Long-tailed macaque contraception shows promise as a humane alternative to culling for population control.
- Significant challenges remain, including contraceptive effectiveness, administration, economic feasibility, and applicability to free-ranging populations.
- Future research must address these obstacles, particularly focusing on free-ranging macaques, to establish contraception as a viable population management tool.

