Successful contraception in a herd of Chinese goral (Nemorhaedus goral arnouxianus) with melengestrol acetate.

Abstract

Thirteen Chinese goral (Nemorhaedus goral arnouxianus) (five males and eight females) were each given 0.8 mg of melengestrol acetate orally in pelleted food for 224 days. The previous breeding season, six of the eight females calved (two were immature). No calf was born during the treatment season. The season after treatment, six females calved (one was immature prior to treatment). Two females were moved to other institutions, and the status of these is unknown. On the basis of this information, melengestrol acetate in feed was successful in preventing conception and was reversible. This treatment did not prevent the siring of offspring the following year and did not prevent a female that was subadult prior to the treatment from calving.