An adult elephant can consume up to 600 pounds of vegetation a day, destroying their environment if too many are in a confined space.

    In South Africa's Kruger National Park, more than 16,000 were culled from 1966 to 1994, when a moratorium was put into effect due to public pressure. Some parks are still lobbying for that option, but conservationists say the culls cause problems among the elephants.

    Experts say younger elephants who grow up without discipline from their dominant fathers can suffer developmentally. An increase in elephant attacks on humans has been seen in parts of Africa where they live side-by-side.

    "I think that obviously everybody would agree that culling has caused a lot of social issues with the elephants," Stetter said from the Disney theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. "Part of our hope is that there will be less culling in the years ahead if we are able to use this tool."

    But some African wildlife experts and advocates say vasectomies are not the answer. They blame the problem on elephants being confined to small parks that do not resemble the natural ecosystem.

    "When it comes to conservation, we excuse ourselves and deal with the symptoms instead of the causes," said Rudi van Aarde, director of the Conservation Ecology Research Unit at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. He advocates connecting parks to create larger ecosystems that will naturally limit elephant populations.

    A 60,000 U.S. dollars grant from Disney's Conservation Fund allowed Stetter to develop his procedure with help from an animal anesthesiology expert from the San Diego Zoo and a laparoscopic horse surgeon from Colorado State University. Stetter trained several African vets in the procedure this summer.

    Using the tools doctors use for arthroscopic knee surgeries on humans ¡ª a laparoscope and a video monitor ¡ª Stetter can perform what he says is a two-hour procedure to sterilize male elephants without disrupting their important testosterone production.

    But performing even minor surgery on a animal the size of a semi-truck is not easy. And even though their testicles are -- the size of a "respectable cantaloupe," Stetter said -- they are under 2 inches of skin, of muscle and 4 inches of fat.

    The elephant must first be shot with an anesthesia dart, guided to an open area, and propped up by a crane truck so that he can stand while sleeping.

    Stetter said field tests have revealed no postoperative complications for the elephants. Enditem

    (Agencies)