In “Chinese use pills to curb gerbils” , BBc News report that the Chinese authorities are using contraceptive pills to cut down the number of gerbils in a north-western province plagued by the rodents. Forestry officials are leaving pills by the gerbils' burrows to try to cut back the rodents' exploding numbers. The gerbils, officials say “are threatening the fragile desert ecosystem in the vast Xinjiang region”. Their burrowing in the Gurbantunggut Desert damages roots of the few plants that thrive there. And Xinhua said “Authorities are using the pellets - which prevent females getting pregnant and cause abortion in those already pregnant - disguised as bran feed, the state news agency”. They are use of the contraceptive pills is deemed to be more humane than killing the rodents and, according to officials, have little effect on other animals. "It's a good way to tackle the desert rat plague," local forestry official Du Yuefei said. More than 180kg (400 lb) of the tainted feed has so far been spread across an area of about 49,000 hectares in the arid region. Officials had previously installed hundreds of perches for the gerbils' natural predators - eagles and owls - but the move failed to halt the rodents' rising numbers. The scheme has already caused a slight drop in gerbil numbers, Mr Du said, with 11 gerbils caught in every 100 traps laid out for them. Previously an average of 12 were caught in the traps, the AP news agency reports. If it continues to be successful, other regions in an increasingly arid China may adopt the scheme. I like and agree with Chinese authorities to cut down and get rid the number of gerbils because it is carrier to human such as Leptospirosis. Transfer by the urine of an infected animal, and is contagious as long as it is still moist.
How do you think about get rid gerbils by using contraceptive pills? And Do you agree with the future should to apply to your country?
References
Chinese use pills to curb gerbils.(2009, March 25),BBC News,Retrieved March 31,2009 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7963836.stm
I think this method is better than kill them. They are disgust but they are living thing. We should not kill them directly. Using contraceptive pills is a way to reduce them by stop propagation. I agree if use this method in my country.
ReplyDeleteThank you Da. I really agree with this solution because in some village at my country, if someone see gerbil they will kell them immediately because famers think them crops will destroy by gerbels.
ReplyDeleteThank you for summarize article.That's good information.In my opinion, I don't believe that 's good way for control gerbils because it can't control qulity eating medicine which using must effective to contraceptive. It might control part of them but it is not all. It is still problem. I think the best way to solve them, should chase them with other methods. Sorry I don't have idea about that.
ReplyDelete