Catalina Island Bison Are On Birth Control
If you've ever visited Catalina Island and strolled away from the harbor racket and into the wilderness, you may have stumbled upon the famous herd of wild buffalo roaming its hills. Hazy legend has it that filmmakers transported 14 bison to the island for a shoot then failed to return the animals to the mainland due to high transport costs. The herd, which was estimated at between 350 and 400 bison in 2005, is now capped at a more comfortable number of 150 to 200 bison. How is the herd's population controlled? Why, with birth control, of course!
The Catalina Island Conservancy introduced a rather successful birth control program for this year's calving that resulted in only three baby bison. Last year 29 calves were born post-mating season. "It's been working quite well," said Julie King, senior wildlife biologist, according to Press Telegram. "We're pleased with it."
Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP), a contraception vaccine, serves as the bison's birth control and marks another chapter in the conservancy's efforts to keep the herd capped at 150 bison.
Eating habits of the bison have a negative impact on the local plant community, as their diet includes coastal sage, chaparral, woody shrubs and cactus. And tourists. Just kidding. A 2005 study concluded that the herd must be reduced in size or removed from the island.
The conservancy is planning a bison roundup in late 2011, possibly in November, to ensure all of the ladies get their annual PZP shots.
