Thailand uses a birth control vaccine to curb its elephant population near expanding farms

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand has begun using a birth control vaccine on elephants in the wild to try and curb a growing problem where human and animal populations encroach on each other — an issue in areas where farms spread into forests and elephants are squeezed out of their natural habitat.

The initiative is part of efforts to address confrontations that can turn deadly. As farmers cut down forests to make more farmland, elephants are forced to venture out of their shrinking habitats in search of food.

Last year, wild elephants killed 30 people and injured 29 in Thailand, according to official figures, which also noted more than 2,000 incidents of elephants damaging crops.

Sukhee Boonsang, director of the Wildlife Conservation Office, recently told The Associated Press that controlling the wild elephant population has become necessary as numbers of elephants living near residential areas rises sharply, increasing the risk of confrontations.

The office obtained 25 doses of a U.S.-made vaccine and conducted a two-year trial on seven domesticated elephants — using up seven doses of the vaccine — which yielded promising results, he said. He explained the vaccine doesn't stop female elephants from ovulating but prevents eggs from being fertilized.

Then, in late January, the vaccine was administered to three wild elephants in eastern Trat province, he said, adding that authorities are now determining which areas to target next as they prepare to use up the remaining 15 doses.

The vaccine can prevent pregnancy for seven years and the elephants will be able to reproduce again if they don’t receive a booster after that time expires. Experts will closely monitor the vaccinated elephants throughout the seven-year period.

The vaccination drive has drawn criticism that it might undermine conservation efforts. Thailand has a centuries-old tradition of using domesticated elephants in farming and transportation. Elephants are also a big part of Thailand’s national identity — and have been officially proclaimed a symbol of the nation.

Sukhee said the program targets only wild elephants in areas with the highest rates of violent human-elephant conflict. Official statistics show a birth rate of wild elephants in these regions at approximately 8.2% per year, more than double the national average of around 3.5%.

About 800 out of the nation’s approximately 4,400 wild elephants live in these conflict-prone areas, Sukhee said.

“If we don’t take action, the impact on people living in these areas will continue to grow until it becomes unmanageable,” he said.

In addition to the contraception vaccine, authorities have implemented other measures to reduce conflict, Sukhee said, such as creating additional water and food sources within the forests where elephants live, constructing protective fencing, and deploying rangers to guide elephants that stray into residential areas back into the wild.

A court-ordered operation earlier this month to remove wild elephants that have repeatedly clashed with locals in northeastern Khon Kaen province sparked a public outcry after one elephant died during the relocation process.

An initial autopsy revealed that the elephant died from choking after anesthesia was administered ahead of the move, officials said.

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation carried out the relocation effort, and its director general, Athapol Charoenshunsa, expressed regret over the incident while insisting that protocol was followed properly. He said an investigation was underway to prevent such incidents from happening again.

In this photo released by Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, officials use a pair of binoculars to monitor wild elephants after they received elephant contraception vaccines in the Trat province of Thailand, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation via AP)

In this photo released by Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, wild elephants gather after receiving an elephant contraception vaccine in the Trat province of Thailand, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation via AP)

In this photo released by Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, officials prepare elephant contraception vaccines for wild elephants in the Trat province of Thailand, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation via AP)

This photo released by Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation shows a wild elephant after it received an elephant contraception vaccine in the Trat province of Thailand, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation via AP)

MUNICH & ESPOO, Finland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 9, 2026--

IQM Quantum Computers, the global leader in superconducting quantum computers, has developed a novel quantum error-correcting code that achieves up to three orders of magnitude lower logical error rates than the surface code, also requiring up to eight times fewer physical qubits.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260609533201/en/

Unlike many alternative high-performance quantum error-correction approaches, the new code also maintains a comparatively low hardware complexity, marking a significant advancement toward scalable fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Quantum error correction remains one of the defining challenges in the race toward practical quantum computing. Errors introduced by noise must be corrected faster than they accumulate, a requirement that previous approaches demanded either complex hardware or significant performance trade-offs, which IQM's codes address both constraints simultaneously.

IQM´s breakthrough technology, called barbell codes, is a family of quantum low-density parity-check (QLDPC) codes tailored to IQM's Constellation, a unique quantum processor topology with enhanced planar connectivity where each qubit can natively interact to 12 other qubits; vs. four qubits in a conventional square grid topology, but only requiring three couplers for the computational qubits and six for the central elements.

By exploiting qubit connectivity and requiring only a single long coupler connection for every other qubit, barbell codes make high-performance error correction with dramatically reduced hardware complexity a reality.

The development details and numerical performance analysis published by the IQM team on arXiv demonstrate a major advancement in quantum computing. Barbell codes are constructed by connecting two sites of standard planar Constellation connectivity with a single long coupler for every second qubit, thereby providing the capability for generating entanglement between such pairs.

Therefore, this unique design eliminates the need for additional long-range crossing couplers on open boundary conditions — simplifying fabrication without compromising performance. The result is a solution engineered not for ideal laboratory conditions, but for the practical realities of superconducting qubit manufacturing.

“We are pioneering the next chapter in quantum computing,” said Jan Goetz, CEO and Co-founder of IQM Quantum Computers. "Our approach offers a highly competitive path to scalable quantum error correction with superconducting qubits, paving the way for large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers."

IQM has sold more quantum systems than any other manufacturer and will deploy 150-qubit systems to customers later this year. The company has further announced IQM Halocene, an advanced quantum computer for error correction codes.

The barbell codes approach aligns with the company's development roadmap, positioning IQM on a credible path to fault-tolerant quantum systems with hundreds of high-precision logical qubits and possibility of quantum advantage across multiple industries.

IQM recently announced increased commitments to its PIPE, driven by upsized investor demand ahead of its planned Nasdaq listing through a merger with Real Asset Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: RAAQ).

About IQM Quantum Computers

IQM Quantum Computers is a global leader in superconducting quantum computers, delivering full-stack quantum computers and cloud platform access to research institutions, universities, high-performance computing centers, national laboratories and enterprises worldwide. IQM's on-premises deployment model gives customers direct ownership and control of their quantum infrastructure. Founded in 2018, headquartered in Finland with major operations in Munich, it has over 400 employees. IQM operates across Europe, Asia, and North America. IQM has filed an F-4 registration statement to the SEC with the intention to become the first publicly listed European quantum company on Nasdaq Global Exchange in the U.S by merging with Real Asset Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: RAAQ).

IQM´s breakthrough technology, called barbell codes.