Wild Boar

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Wild Boar

• Introducing a new species into Nova Scotia
• By Dustin Stone Sean Dunn

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Outline

• Context
• Biology of Wild Boar
• Diet
• Habitat
• Population Dynamics
• Effects of Boar
• Agriculture
• Ecological
• Diseases
• Social/Economic
• Summary
• Conclusion

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Context

• North America - introduction of more than 30
  species of exotic free ranging mammals since
  colonization.
• Species introduced for hunting include
• Sitka Deer
• Cattle
• Horses
• Wild Boar
• Play an important role in many economies

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Types of Pigs

• Wild Boar
• Pure breeding wild boar
• Feral Pigs
• Pigs living wild with domestic ancestor
• Hybrids
• Wild Boar/feral or domestic pig crossbreeding

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Feral Pigs

• Domestic pigs originated from wild boar from
  Europe and Asia 5000-9000 years ago.
• Wild boar introduced into feral pig populations
  to improve characteristics for hunting
• Found in lower costal plains
• Limited by snow and winter conditions
• Prefer habitat swamp and river bottom lands
• Do not migrate

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Wild Boar Biology

• General Characteristics

• Latin name (Sus scrofa)
• Length 5 feet
• Weight 300 pounds
• Mane of hair grey-brown colour, longitudinal
  stripes, fewer teats
• Males large tusks which protrude from the lower
  mouth
• Life Span up to 11 years
• Primarily Nocturnal

http//www.organicpork.co.uk/Young20wildboar20co
py.JPG
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Not to be outdone

• Hogzilla was an extremely rare case in which the
  boar reached 12 feet long and weighed 1,000 pound
  with 9in tusks

http//news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/05/im
ages/070501-hogzilla-picture.jpg
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Wild Boar Diet

• Opportunistic omnivores
• Mostly eat vegetables (86)
• Mostly mast, roots, green plant matter and
  agricultural crops
• Energy rich plants such as acorns, beechnuts,
  chestnuts, pine seeds are needed to survive
  winter conditions
• Also consume animal foods such as insects, birds,
  small mammals, amphibians and reptiles

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Wild Boar Diet

• Autumn/winter diet
• Acorns
• Hickory Nuts
• Winter ground vegetation
• Summer diet
• Grass
• Mushrooms
• Roots
• Eggs

http//www.veggiegardeningtips.com/wp-content/uplo
ads/2006/02/Shiitake-Mushrooms.jpg
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Competition and Predators

• Competition
• Deer
• Small mammals
• Humans
• Predators
• Coyote
• Humans

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Wild Boar Habitat

• Habitat Preferences

• Prefer forested areas near bodies of water
• Wallow in mud to cool off and to remove parasites
  like ticks
• Adapted to live in a variety of weather
  conditions
• Capable of surviving winter conditions up to 30
  cm snow
• Thrive in areas of human activity
• Prefer deciduous forested landscapes

http//www.tworiversoutdoorclub.com/images/Hay-Bai
l.jpg
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Migration

• Seasonal use of mountains
• Due well in Northern hardwood ecosystems and
  Oak-Pine Appalachian mountains
• Northern Hardwood migration
• April-August
• Occurs in the GRSM
• Home range varies from 3-12km2 on average

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Wild Boar Reproduction

• Nest is made of sticks, grass and mud
• Young remain in the nest for 1 week approx. Until
  they are capable of following the mother
• At 45 days the young are capable of living on
  their own
• Males do not contribute to rearing the young

http//newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41153000/jpg
/_41153946_boars_pa_203203.jpg
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Wild Boar Population Dynamics

• Reason for boar population success
• High fertility
• Low predation
• Very adaptive species (not a specialist)
• Social organization nucleus of related females
  and litters

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Wild Boar Population Dynamics

• Females reproduce once a year
• Average number of young is 5, however litters can
  reach as many as 14
• On average 373 piglets per 100 sow for each year
• An average 81 of sows reproduce each year
• Depopulation is difficult due to very high
  reproductive rate

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Distribution

• Indigenous to
• Western Europe to Asia
• North Africa
• Introduced to
• Americas
• Australia
• New Zealand

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b/e/e0/Boar_distribution.png/800px-Boar_distributi
on.png
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Past Introductions

• Scotland
• Scientifically politically and legally promoted
  as creative conservation
• England
• Became extinct due to habitat loss and
  persecution

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Introduction of Wild Boar

• First came to North America by colonizing
  Spaniards in early 16th century
• Accidental escape of wild boar in Tennessee and
  North Carolina from hunting enclosure 1912
• Populations started interbreeding with feral pigs

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Wild Boar Populations In the US

• National park populations Tennessee, North
  Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Florida
• Variety of wild boar, feral pigs and mixes
• Populations are mostly stable except in the Great
  Smokey Mountain national park.

http//wildlifemanagementpro.com/wp-content/upload
s/2007/06/feral_hog_distribution_us.jpg
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Effects of Wild Boar Populations

• Agriculture
• Ecological Damage
• Disease
• Other Management Issues
• Personal Safety
• Domestic Animals

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Agriculture Damage Crops

• Crops consumed include maize, wheat, potatoes,
  oats, rye and beans.
• Maize is the preferred crop
• Damage is caused by tramping and uprooting
• Noted to be an increasing problem in Europe since
  1940.

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Agricultural Damage Other

• Damage Fencing used to contain livestock
• Exposed soil caused by uprooting and wallowing
  can infect grasses with potentially harmful
  micro-organisms

http//www.britishwildboar.org.uk/issuesfencing.jp
g
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Ecological Damage Rooting

• Herbs, Ferns and Sedges are mostly effected
• Plant cover reduced by 87
• Stimulated Beech Growth however survival rate
  was low
• Corms and macro invertebrates decreased 80
• Protecting the area resulted in
• 100 recovery of corms
• 40 Macro invertebrates

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Diseases

• CSF Classical Swine Fever
• Outbreaks in Europe
• 46 of outbreaks in domestic pigs are due to wild
  boar
• Disease control includes
• Vaccinations (expensive)
• Cull (difficult due to high reproductive rate)

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Diseases

• Aujeskys Disease virus (ADV)
• Also known as pseudorabies
• ADV persists in wild boars
• Contracted in boars, domestic and feral pigs and
  cattle
• Comes from western Europe

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Nova Scotias Economy

• Nova Scotia has a highly developed forestry
  sector with four pulp and paper mills and several
  hundred sawmills.
• Nova Scotia has a highly specialized commercial
  agriculture sector. Dairy is the largest sector,
  followed by horticultural crops, poultry, eggs,
  beef cattle and hogs.

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Nova Scotias Economy

• Export commodities include blueberries, apples
  and processed fruits, vegetables and juices.
• Total tourism receipts exceed 800 million and
  over 30 000 are employed in the industry

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Nova Scotias Economy
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Wild Boar Meat

• Sweet, nutty and intense flavour
• High in protein
• Leaner and deeper red colour compared to its
  cousin pork
• Current price for boar meat is approx 10/lb

http//z.about.com/d/italianfood/1/0/b/0/1/salcine
lonzino.jpg
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Summary

• Positives

• Negatives

• New available meat market with higher quality
  meat compared to domestic swine
• Potential for increases in predator populations
  such as lynx
• New revenue generated by new species for hunting

• Agricultural Damage
• Ecological Damage
• Diseases
• Competition with local species
• Potential decrease in eco-tourism opportunities

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Conclusions

• Based on economic, ecological and social values
  introducing wild boar into Nova Scotia would not
  be beneficial
• However if wild boar where to be introduced the
  following recommendations should be considered

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Recommendations

• Deciduous mixed woodland
• Buffer of heathland, grassland or seminatural
  pines 50km
• Distance between agriculture or urban areas and
  the habitat should be at least 5km
• Distance of habitat patch from main roads should
  be at least 1km

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Recommend Habitat

• Expected patch size and carrying capacity
• 10km2 30-50
• 50km 2 150-250
• 100km2 300-500
• 500km 2 1500-2500

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Questions to Consider

• Do you think wild boar would benefit Nova Scotia
  in any ways that have not been considered?
• Any negative effects?
• Does hunting boar appeal to anyone?
• What about introduction in contained hunting
  reserves?

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References

• Andrzejewski R. and Jezierski W. (1978)
  Management of a Wild Boar Population and its
  effects on Commercial Land. Acta Theriologica 23
  (19) 309-339
• Baker S.J. (1990) Escaped Exotic Mammals in
  Britain. Mammal Review 20 (2/3) 75-96
• Barrett R.H. (1978) The Feral Hog on the Dye
  Creek Ranch, California. Hilgardia 46
  283-1356-1366
• Caley P. (1997) Movements, Activity Patterns and
  Habitat Use of Feral Pigs (Sus scrofa) in a
• Tropical Habitat. Wildl. Res. 24 77-87
• Choquenot D., McIlroy J. and Korn T. (1996)
  Managing Vertebrate Pests Feral Pigs. Australian
  Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
• Coblentz B.E. and Baber D.W. (1987) Biology and
  Control of Feral Pigs on Isla Santiago, Jacob
  S.A. (1993) A Simple Device for Scaring Away Wild
  Boar (Sus scrofa) in Newly Planted Oil Palm
  Fields. The Planter 69 475-477
• Janeau G. and Spitz F. (1984) The Use of Space by
  Wild Boar (Sus scrofa scrofa L.) Distribution
  and Patterns of Use. Gibier Faune Sauvage 1 73-89
  (English Summary) TA.D. Poyser
• Macchi E., Gallo Orsi U., Perrone A. and Durio P.
  (1992) Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) Damages in
• Cuneo Province (Piedmont, Italy NW).
  Ongules/Ungulates 91 431-433
• Saez-Royuela C. and Telleria J.L. (1986) The
  Increased Population of the Wild Boar (Sus
• scrofa L.) in Europe. Mammal Rev. 16 (2) 97-101
• Williamson M. (1996) Biological Invasions.
  Chapman and Hall, London. Wood G.W. and Barrett
  R.H. (1979) Status of Wild Pigs in the United
  States. Wildl. Soc.
• Wollenhaupt H. (1991) Game Damage and its
  Compensation Proposals and Recommendations for
  Matters under Special Consideration Regarding the
  Wild Boar (Sus scrofa). Report No. FO BHV/85/016
  Jan 91 Wildlife Mgmt. Bhutan.
• Yalden D.W. (1986) Opportunities for
  Reintroducing British Mammals. Mammal Review 2
  53-63

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Thank You