Disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings
Assessing Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) mortality is a key for understanding population dynamics and adjusting hunting harvest and population management. We used radio-tagging and video-trapping to quantify piglet summer mortality in a managed (i.e. fenced and year-round fed) wild boar population...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer
2020
|
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/88487/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/88487/1/ABSTRACT.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848860629403697152 |
|---|---|
| author | Barasona, Jose A. Risalde, María A. Gonzalez-Barrio, David Che Amat, Azlan Pérez-Sancho, Marta Vargas-Castillo, Laura Xeidakis, Anastasios Jurado-Tarifa, Estefanía Gortázar, Christian |
| author_facet | Barasona, Jose A. Risalde, María A. Gonzalez-Barrio, David Che Amat, Azlan Pérez-Sancho, Marta Vargas-Castillo, Laura Xeidakis, Anastasios Jurado-Tarifa, Estefanía Gortázar, Christian |
| author_sort | Barasona, Jose A. |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Assessing Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) mortality is a key for understanding population dynamics and adjusting hunting harvest and population management. We used radio-tagging and video-trapping to quantify piglet summer mortality in a managed (i.e. fenced and year-round fed) wild boar population from southern Spain. We used two independent tools to assess wild boar mortality, i.e. radio-tracking and video footage. A total of 32 wild boar piglets were captured at selective feeders acting as cage-traps, and all the piglets were equipped with ear-tag transmitters including a mortality sensor. Additionally, 20 camera traps were set up in video mode at wild boar feeders. Videos were visualized calculating the proportion of piglets seen per adult as a second indicator of piglet mortality. The survival analysis of radio-tagged individuals indicated an average survival of 48% after 180 days of capturing. Mortality was particularly pronounced in the first 2 months, i.e. during summer. Video footage evidenced a progressive decline in the piglet-to-adult ratio throughout summer. Between June and September, this ratio declined by 80.5%. Dead piglets were in poor body condition, and respiratory lesions compatible with the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) were observed in 86% of them. Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) was the most prevalent pathogen (61%) in this study, and its prevalence showed an increasing trend depending on the lung lesion score. We postulate that high piglet mortality at early age might represent a disease-mediated density-dependent mechanism limiting wild boar population growth in semi-intensive management regimes, characterized by year-round feeding and fencing. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T12:48:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-88487 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T12:48:16Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | Springer |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-884872021-12-23T08:36:38Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/88487/ Disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings Barasona, Jose A. Risalde, María A. Gonzalez-Barrio, David Che Amat, Azlan Pérez-Sancho, Marta Vargas-Castillo, Laura Xeidakis, Anastasios Jurado-Tarifa, Estefanía Gortázar, Christian Assessing Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) mortality is a key for understanding population dynamics and adjusting hunting harvest and population management. We used radio-tagging and video-trapping to quantify piglet summer mortality in a managed (i.e. fenced and year-round fed) wild boar population from southern Spain. We used two independent tools to assess wild boar mortality, i.e. radio-tracking and video footage. A total of 32 wild boar piglets were captured at selective feeders acting as cage-traps, and all the piglets were equipped with ear-tag transmitters including a mortality sensor. Additionally, 20 camera traps were set up in video mode at wild boar feeders. Videos were visualized calculating the proportion of piglets seen per adult as a second indicator of piglet mortality. The survival analysis of radio-tagged individuals indicated an average survival of 48% after 180 days of capturing. Mortality was particularly pronounced in the first 2 months, i.e. during summer. Video footage evidenced a progressive decline in the piglet-to-adult ratio throughout summer. Between June and September, this ratio declined by 80.5%. Dead piglets were in poor body condition, and respiratory lesions compatible with the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) were observed in 86% of them. Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) was the most prevalent pathogen (61%) in this study, and its prevalence showed an increasing trend depending on the lung lesion score. We postulate that high piglet mortality at early age might represent a disease-mediated density-dependent mechanism limiting wild boar population growth in semi-intensive management regimes, characterized by year-round feeding and fencing. Springer 2020 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/88487/1/ABSTRACT.pdf Barasona, Jose A. and Risalde, María A. and Gonzalez-Barrio, David and Che Amat, Azlan and Pérez-Sancho, Marta and Vargas-Castillo, Laura and Xeidakis, Anastasios and Jurado-Tarifa, Estefanía and Gortázar, Christian (2020) Disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 66. art. no. 26. pp. 1-6. ISSN 1612-4642; ESSN: 1439-0574 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10344-020-1363-6 10.1007/s10344-020-1363-6 |
| spellingShingle | Barasona, Jose A. Risalde, María A. Gonzalez-Barrio, David Che Amat, Azlan Pérez-Sancho, Marta Vargas-Castillo, Laura Xeidakis, Anastasios Jurado-Tarifa, Estefanía Gortázar, Christian Disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings |
| title | Disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings |
| title_full | Disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings |
| title_fullStr | Disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings |
| title_short | Disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings |
| title_sort | disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/88487/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/88487/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/88487/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/88487/1/ABSTRACT.pdf |