Lincoln Park Zoo

Sarah Jacobson is a comparative psychologist interested in the intersection between animal behavior, cognition, and wildlife conservation. Her previous work has focused on personality and problem-solving in Asian elephants with the Comparative Cognition for Conservation Lab at Hunter College. She is excited to apply her expertise in behavior and human-wildlife conflict to issues around urban wildlife in Chicago. Sarah received her Ph.D. from The Graduate Center City University of New York in 2024.

Project Summary

Optimizing the Use of Contraceptive for Rat Control to Prevent Biodiversity Loss Caused by Rodenticide in Urban Ecosystems

To manage rat populations, most cities use anticoagulant rodenticides (rat poison), which cause illness and death for many nontarget species. Fertility control of rats through the provision of contraceptive bait provides a new approach to reducing the risks of rodenticides for biodiversity conservation. This study aims to optimize the delivery of contraceptive bait to rats by examining factors that influence rat visitation to contraceptive feeding stations and consumption of bait. This work will integrate a behavioral perspective into ongoing ecological research at Lincoln Park Zoo to determine best practices for deploying contraception to the target rat population. The project is grounded in the expectation that contraception could become a new standard for rodent control — reducing nontarget poisoning, offering more humane population control, and benefiting humans and wildlife alike in Chicago.