‘Sterilize - Don’t Shoot - NJ’s Black Bears’

by Maria A. Schulz

An animal rights advocate from New Jersey says he has the answer to suburbia’s growing black bear problem: sterilization.

Stuart Chaifetz, a freelance illustrator and member of the New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance, proposes that the state allow volunteer veterinarians to use the sterilizing chemicals on New Jersey’s black bear population instead of moving forward with the six-day hunt, scheduled to run from December 8-13.

"It’s truly a new age for wildlife management," said Mr. Chaifetz.

"People now have an alternative to killing. Let’s end the hunt and move into the 21st century," he said.

Chaifetz proposed that 100 bears be sterilized immediately, and that an additional 300-400 be injected later this fall.

Governor McGreevy’s spokesman, Micah Rasmussen, stated that the governor appreciated Mr. Chaifetz’s proposal and had instructed his environmental commissioner, Bradley M. Campbell, to determine the safety and efficacy of the sterilization process.

But, Mr. Rasmussen added that the governor has no plans to call off the hunt, which he apparently believes is vital to public safety.

The sterilization chemical that Mr. Chaifetz suggests using, Neutersol, only has FDA approval for use in male puppies.

But federal law allows licensed veterinarians to use their discretion when administering it to other male animals.

Mr. Chaifetz said the injections would cost between $80 and $100 per bear and could be administered by volunteer teams of veterinarians, sharpshooters and wildlife biologists.

Some supporters of the sterilization method have suggested that wildlife managers could sterilize more bears when they perform their winter physicals on them.

When they are through dragging the bears from their hibernation dens to weigh and tag them, they could give the females a contraceptive shot, the males could be given Neutersol, or the males and females could be surgically spayed and neutered.

Both sides of the bear control debate agree that some action must be taken, especially since this summer’s encounters with bears have been dangerous, often ending in death for the bear and serious injury to people.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.