Wildlife Contraceptive Pioneer Jay Kirkpatrick: Developer of PZP for 85 Species

Jay Kirkpatrick, a pioneering researcher in wildlife contraception, dedicated over 40 years to developing contraceptive vaccines for wild horses, deer, elk, and other wildlife. His groundbreaking work has left a lasting impact on wildlife conservation.

Jay Kirkpatrick, 75, passed away on December 16, 2015, in Billings, Montana, after a brief but serious illness, as reported by family and friends. Originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Kirkpatrick served as a National Park Service ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, for seven years before earning a Ph.D. in reproductive physiology from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in 1971.

Academic and Professional Achievements

From mid-1971 until 1994, Kirkpatrick taught biology and wildlife physiology at Montana State University in Billings, including seven years as dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. His professional biography also included post-doctoral affiliations with the University of Pennsylvania and University of California at Davis veterinary schools, as well as the Center for Reproduction in Endangered Species at the San Diego Zoo.

In addition, Kirkpatrick was long affiliated with the Deaconess Research Institute of Chicago. In 1998, he founded the Science & Conservation Center at ZooMontana in Billings, where research on wildlife contraceptives was partially funded by the American SPCA.

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