Disturb

Impact of human disturbance on wild boar movements

Following the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in Belgium in 2018, the question of what control measures to implement has arisen. In this context, the OSAV wants to assess the impact of leisure and forestry activities on wild boar movements. While hunting has been shown to increase wild boar movements and thus the risk of the disease spreading, the effect of professional (forestry work) and leisure activities in the forest on wild boar behaviour is unknown.

The aim of this study is to examine the response of wild boars to different types of anthropogenic disturbances under Swiss conditions. Wild boars were fitted with GPS collars and monitored before, during and after simulated disturbances. The data were analysed according to the type of activity in relation to habitats and topography. The results showed that the presence of dogs and activities carried out off the beaten track are what disturb the animals the most.

^{Illustration of a wild boar disturbance simulation carried out as part of the project.}