Europe has for the first time a harmonized, high-resolution map of wild boar densitya key scientific tool for anticipating and managing the spread of diseases such as African swine fever (ASF) and to assess population control of a clearly expanding species. The work, coordinated on a continental scale by the ENETWILD consortium and led by the SaBio group of the Hunting Resources Research Institute (IREC-CSIC), estimates that before the appearance of the last ASF outbreak The European population of this species ranged between 13.5 and 19.6 million of individuals, which represents 2.4 million of the Spanish figure.
The study, carried out as a technical publication from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), indicates that wild boar populations at continental level have experienced a “constant and accelerated growth” which represents “a critical risk” to animal health and the rural economy, particularly due to the potential spread of infectious diseases such as African swine fever. The analysis in turn indicates a “extreme population density” in different parts of the Mediterranean corridor, from the south of France to the south-east of Spain, which is considered “worrying”.
The map, according to its authors, represents an unprecedented methodological leap, moving from traditional abundance indices (knowing whether there are “many or few” animals) to true density estimatesexpressed in number of specimens per square kilometer and with a spatial resolution of 2×2 kilometers, “never reached for a wild terrestrial species in Europe”.
The Spanish Terrestrial Wildlife Monitoring Network (FAUNET) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has enabled “intense surveillance” using phototrapping techniques in dozens of populations in Spain. Consider the ministry that Accurate density data helps understand transmission dynamicsthe persistence and spread of African swine fever, in addition to improving the effectiveness of health surveillance, carcass research and control measures.
Higher densities in Western Europe
Until now, management of the problem was limited by the data fragmentation: Each country used different methods to estimate its population, which prevented a global vision and a coordinated response. The new map overcomes this limitation by harmonizing information from across the continent, calibrating models based on hunting statistics with real density data. obtained at nearly 80 observation pointsthanks to the standardized protocols of the European Wildlife Observatory.
The result is mapping from before the spread of African swine fever that reveals clear trends. One of the most important points of the map is the proof of Higher densities in Western and Southern Europe — Spain, France, Italy, Central Europe and the Adriatic coast — and a gradual decrease towards the east and north, with exceptions such as Norway. This model makes it possible for the first time to integrate the population variable into epidemiological and cross-border risk analysis models.
Spain stands out as one of the countries with the strongest demographic pressure, with a estimate higher than 2.4 million wild boarsof which more than 200,000 are concentrated in Catalonia. Of particular interest is the so-called “Mediterranean corridor”, which extends from the south of France and Catalonia to the south-east of the peninsula. In this area, the authors of the study point to areas of “extreme population density”, particularly “worrying” in the aforementioned Mediterranean corridor.
The map not only makes it possible to locate risk areas, but also to evaluate the effectiveness of control policies. By combining density models with official catch dataresearchers were able to estimate the numbers with great spatial detail and analyze whether current hunting pressure is sufficient to stop population growth and reduce health risks. According to the authors, this work “marks a before and after in European health surveillance” and confirms that only the international scientific cooperation It is “capable of facing biological challenges that know no borders”.
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