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Khatiwada S, Turner SP, Farish M, Camerlink I. Leadership amongst pigs when faced with a novel situation. Behav Processes 2024; 222:105099. [PMID: 39265896 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
Leadership is a risky behaviour that can impact individuals and groups. Leaders, i.e. individuals who perform or initiate a task while other individuals in the group follow, have been studied in different contexts, but there is still a lack of understanding on the role of individual characteristics that may predispose them to become leaders, such as dominance and personality. In particular, the characteristics of leaders in domestic animal populations has been poorly examined. We studied leadership within 32 groups of young pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus, n = 366 individuals). Leadership was assessed during a group-based fear test (Human Approach Test) which was repeated three times. The first individual per group to touch the person was identified as leader. We assessed repeatability of leadership and characteristics of leaders as compared to followers. Leadership was marginally repeatable, with 6 out of 26 groups having a consistent single leader across all tests. Females had odds 4.13 times greater than males of being a leader, while there was no effect of body weight (a proxy of dominance) or coping style on leadership. The results indicate a similarity with wild populations, in which females lead the herd even though the males, which are superior in body weight, are often dominant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Khatiwada
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36a, Jastrzębiec 05-552, Poland.
| | - Simon P Turner
- Animal Behaviour & Welfare, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Research Group, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), West Mains Rd., Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
| | - Marianne Farish
- Animal Behaviour & Welfare, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Research Group, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), West Mains Rd., Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
| | - Irene Camerlink
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36a, Jastrzębiec 05-552, Poland.
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2
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Escobar-González M, López-Martín JM, Mentaberre G, Valldeperes M, Estruch J, Tampach S, Castillo-Contreras R, Conejero C, Roldán J, Lavín S, Serrano E, López-Olvera JR. Evaluating hunting and capture methods for urban wild boar population management. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 940:173463. [PMID: 38802001 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Wild ungulates are expanding in range and number worldwide leading to an urgent need to manage their populations to minimize conflicts and promote coexistence with humans. In the metropolitan area of Barcelona (MAB), wild boar is the main wildlife species causing a nuisance, from traffic accidents to health risks. Selective harvesting of specific sex and age classes and reducing anthropogenic food resources would be the most efficient approach to dealing with overpopulation. Nonetheless, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the age and sex selectivity of the capture methods currently applied in the MAB for wild boar population control. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the performance and age and sex bias of different hunting and capture methods and the seasonal patterns in their performance (number of captured individuals per event). From February 2014 to August 2022, 1454 wild boars were captured in the MAB using drop net, teleanaesthesia, cage traps, night stalks, and drive hunting. We applied generalized linear models (GLM) to compare the performance of these methods for the total number of wild boars, the wild boars belonging to each age category (i.e., adult, yearling, and juvenile), and for each season. The studied capture methods showed age-class bias and sex bias in adults (>2 years). Drive hunting and drop net removed mainly adult females and yearlings (1-2 years), with drive hunting having the highest performance for adult males. Instead, cage traps and drop net were the best methods to capture juveniles (<1 year). Overall, global performance was higher in summer, decreasingly followed by autumn and spring, winter being the worst performing season. Wildlife managers and researchers should consider the different performance and sex and age bias of each hunting and capture method, as well as the associated public cost, to improve efficiency and achieve the best results in wild boar population management.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Escobar-González
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Josep-Maria López-Martín
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament d'Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agraria (ETSEA), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), Lleida, Spain
| | - Marta Valldeperes
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Estruch
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stefania Tampach
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Castillo-Contreras
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Fundación Artemisan, Avda. Rey Santo 8, 13001 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Carles Conejero
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Roldán
- Forestal Catalana SA, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Santiago Lavín
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emmanuel Serrano
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Ramón López-Olvera
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Buglione M, Rivieccio E, Aceto S, Paturzo V, Biondi C, Fulgione D. The Domestication of Wild Boar Could Result in a Relaxed Selection for Maintaining Olfactory Capacity. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:1045. [PMID: 39202786 PMCID: PMC11355481 DOI: 10.3390/life14081045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Domesticated animals are artificially selected to exhibit desirable traits, however not all traits of domesticated animals are the result of deliberate selection. Loss of olfactory capacity in the domesticated pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) is one example. We used whole transcriptome analysis (RNA-Seq) to compare patterns of gene expression in the olfactory mucosa of the pig and two subspecies of wild boar (Sus scrofa), and investigate candidate genes that could be responsible for the loss of olfactory capacity. We identified hundreds of genes with reductions in transcript abundance in pig relative to wild boar as well as differences between the two subspecies of wild boar. These differences were detected mainly in genes involved in the formation and motility of villi, cilia and microtubules, functions associated with olfaction. In addition, differences were found in the abundances of transcripts of genes related to immune defenses, with the highest levels in continental wild boar subspecies. Overall, the loss of olfactory capacity in pigs appears to have been accompanied by reductions in the expression of candidate genes for olfaction. These changes could have resulted from unintentional selection for reduced olfactory capacity, relaxed selection for maintaining olfactory capacity, pleiotropic effects of genes under selection, or other non-selective processes. Our findings could be a cornerstone for future researches on wild boars, pigs, feral populations, and their evolutionary trajectories, aimed to provide tools to better calibrate species management as well as guidelines for breeders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Buglione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (M.B.); (S.A.); (V.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Eleonora Rivieccio
- Department of Humanities Studies, University of Naples Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy;
| | - Serena Aceto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (M.B.); (S.A.); (V.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Vincenzo Paturzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (M.B.); (S.A.); (V.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Carla Biondi
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (M.B.); (S.A.); (V.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Domenico Fulgione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (M.B.); (S.A.); (V.P.); (C.B.)
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Lizana V, Martí-Marco A, Gortázar C, López-Ramon J, Cerezo Valverde J, Aguilo-Gisbert J, Cardells J. Epidemiological factors conditioning sarcoptic mange spreading in wild boar (Sus scrofa). Res Vet Sci 2024; 176:105351. [PMID: 38963994 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2024.105351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Sarcoptic mange is a widely distributed disease, with numerous potential hosts among domestic and wild animals. Nowadays it is considered a neglected re-emergent infection in humans. As a difference with domestic pigs, and even with several clinical cases reported in some European countries, it seems that Eurasian wild boars (Sus scrofa) have a low susceptibility to clinical mange. However, because of a case of confirmed transmission from Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica) to wild boar in the province of Tarragona, we planned a large-scale ELISA survey in the neighboring Valencian Community (SE Spain). We compared 419 wild boar sera from different management systems (fenced vs. open game estates), different ages (piglets, juveniles, and adults), with different behaviour (gregarious females of all ages and male piglets vs. solitary juveniles and adult males), from areas with different wild boar densities, different wild ruminant densities and different sarcoptic mange epidemiologic situations. The whole prevalence of antibodies against sarcoptic mange in the tested wild boars was 10.5%. No significant differences were found when comparing fenced and free ranging wild boars, males and females, gregarious vs. solitary individuals or among different ages. However, wild boar density was a relevant factor. In areas with a hunting bag of <1 wild boar/km2, considered as a low density of suids, the seroprevalence was 2.94%, but rose to 11.52% in high density districts, constituting a significant difference (p = 0.037). Low wild boar populations would act as a protective factor (OR 0.233; p = 0.049) against coming into contact with the mite. The wild ruminant densities or their sarcoptic mange status did not show any effect on wild boars seroprevalence against this disease. These results reinforce the suggested host-taxon Sarcoptes scabiei specificity and the independence of host-species foci.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Lizana
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación y Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad CEU-Cardenal Herrera, Tirant lo Blanc St 7, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain; Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Travessera dels Turons, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - A Martí-Marco
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación y Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad CEU-Cardenal Herrera, Tirant lo Blanc St 7, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
| | - C Gortázar
- SaBio Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), PC13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - J López-Ramon
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación y Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad CEU-Cardenal Herrera, Tirant lo Blanc St 7, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
| | - J Cerezo Valverde
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación y Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad CEU-Cardenal Herrera, Tirant lo Blanc St 7, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
| | - J Aguilo-Gisbert
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación y Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad CEU-Cardenal Herrera, Tirant lo Blanc St 7, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
| | - J Cardells
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación y Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad CEU-Cardenal Herrera, Tirant lo Blanc St 7, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain; Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Travessera dels Turons, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Gábor A, Pérez Fraga P, Gácsi M, Gerencsér L, Andics A. Domestication and exposure to human social stimuli are not sufficient to trigger attachment to humans: a companion pig-dog comparative study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14058. [PMID: 38977716 PMCID: PMC11231355 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63529-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Dogs exhibit human-analogue attachment to their owners, with similar function and mechanisms to that of infant-mother bond, but its origin is unclear. Comparative studies on socialised wolves and dogs emphasise genetic influence in dogs' preparedness for attachment to humans. We aimed to reveal if this genetic effect stems from general domestication or artificial selection that increased dogs' dependence on humans. We assessed and compared behavioural patterns of young companion pigs and dogs using a Strange Situation Test. Dogs but not pigs exhibited distinct behaviours towards their owner and a stranger along attachment-specific variables, so only dogs' relevant behaviours fulfilled attachment criteria. From the observed behaviours, three factors were formed: Attachment (to the owner), Anxiety (in a strange situation), and Acceptance (of a stranger). Results indicate (1) higher Attachment scores in dogs than pigs, (2) greater Acceptance scores in pigs, (3) positive correlation of Attachment and Anxiety in both, (4) similar time tendency of pigs' Attachment and Acceptance scores. These suggest that in pigs, domestication and early exposure to human social stimuli did not trigger attachment to humans. Thus, along with species predispositions, the unique dog-owner attachment can be facilitated by artificial selection that increased dogs' dependence on humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gábor
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Neuroethology of Communication Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Paula Pérez Fraga
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Neuroethology of Communication Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Gácsi
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Linda Gerencsér
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Neuroethology of Communication Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Andics
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Neuroethology of Communication Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
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Wenting E, Jansen PA, Pattipeilohy L, van Lunteren P, Siepel H, van Langevelde F. Influence of tree cover on carcass detection and consumption by facultative vertebrate scavengers. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10935. [PMID: 38571788 PMCID: PMC10985364 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Scavenging mammals and vultures can exploit and deplete carcasses much faster than other birds and invertebrates. Vultures are strongly influenced by habitat type, e.g. tree cover, since they rely on their eyesight to detect carcasses. It remains unclear whether and how facultative scavengers - both other birds and mammals - are influenced by tree cover and how that affect carcass decomposition time, which in turn affects biodiversity and ecological processes, including the cycle of energy and nutrients. We studied whether the carcass detection and consumption, hence carcass decomposition speed, by facultative avian and mammalian scavengers varies with tree cover in areas without vultures. Fresh mammal carcasses were placed in different landscapes across the Netherlands at locations that widely varied in tree cover. Camera traps were used to record carcass exploitation by facultative avian and mammalian scavengers and to estimate carcass decomposition time. We found that carcass detection and consumption by birds, wild boar, and other mammals varied between locations. Carcass decomposition speed indeed increased with carcass detection and exploitation by mammals, especially by wild boar. However, this variation was not related to tree cover. We conclude that tree cover is not a major determinant of carcass exploitation by facultative scavengers in areas without obligate scavengers and large carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Wenting
- Department of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology and PhysiologyRadboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Patrick A. Jansen
- Department of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityPanama
| | - Luke Pattipeilohy
- Department of Animal Ecology and PhysiologyRadboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Henk Siepel
- Department of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology and PhysiologyRadboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Frank van Langevelde
- Department of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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Petrelli S, Buglione M, Rivieccio E, Ricca E, Baccigalupi L, Scala G, Fulgione D. Reprogramming of the gut microbiota following feralization in Sus scrofa. Anim Microbiome 2023; 5:14. [PMID: 36823657 PMCID: PMC9951470 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-023-00235-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wild boar has experienced several evolutionary trajectories from which domestic (under artificial selection) and the feral pig (under natural selection) originated. Strong adaptation deeply affects feral population's morphology and physiology, including the microbiota community. The gut microbiota is generally recognized to play a crucial role in maintaining host health and metabolism. To date, it is unclear whether feral populations' phylogeny, development stages or lifestyle have the greatest impact in shaping the gut microbiota, as well as how this can confer adaptability to new environments. Here, in order to deepen this point, we characterized the gut microbiota of feral population discriminating between juvenile and adult samples, and we compared it to the microbiota structure of wild boar and domestic pig as the references. Gut microbiota composition was estimated through the sequencing of the partial 16S rRNA gene by DNA metabarcoding and High Throughput Sequencing on DNA extracted from fecal samples. RESULTS The comparison of microbiota communities among the three forms showed significant differences. The feral form seems to carry some bacteria of both domestic pigs, derived from its ancestral condition, and wild boars, probably as a sign of a recent re-adaptation strategy to the natural environment. In addition, interestingly, feral pigs show some exclusive bacterial taxa, also suggesting an innovative nature of the evolutionary trajectories and an ecological segregation in feral populations, as already observed for other traits. CONCLUSIONS The feral pig showed a significant change between juvenile and adult microbiota suggesting an influence of the wild environment in which these populations segregate. However, it is important to underline that we certainly cannot overlook that these variations in the structure of the microbiota also depended on the different development stages of the animal, which in fact influence the composition of the intestinal microbiota. Concluding, the feral pigs represent a new actor living in the same geographical space as the wild boars, in which its gut microbial structure suggests that it is mainly the result of environmental segregation, most different from its closest relative. This gives rise to interesting fields of exploration regarding the changed ecological complexity and the consequent evolutionary destiny of the animal communities involved in this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Petrelli
- grid.4691.a0000 0001 0790 385XDepartment of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Naples, NA Italy
| | - Maria Buglione
- grid.4691.a0000 0001 0790 385XDepartment of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Naples, NA Italy
| | - Eleonora Rivieccio
- grid.4691.a0000 0001 0790 385XDepartment of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Via Porta Di Massa 1, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Ezio Ricca
- grid.4691.a0000 0001 0790 385XDepartment of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Naples, NA Italy ,grid.4691.a0000 0001 0790 385XTask Force On Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, NA Italy
| | - Loredana Baccigalupi
- grid.4691.a0000 0001 0790 385XDepartment of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, NA Italy
| | - Giovanni Scala
- grid.4691.a0000 0001 0790 385XDepartment of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126 Naples, NA Italy
| | - Domenico Fulgione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126, Naples, NA, Italy. .,Task Force On Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, 80100, Naples, NA, Italy.
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Rivieccio E, Troiano C, Petrelli S, Maselli V, de Filippo G, Fulgione D, Buglione M. Population development and landscape preference of reintroduced wild ungulates: successful rewilding in Southern Italy. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14492. [PMID: 36530413 PMCID: PMC9756874 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the past decades, the abandonment of traditional land use practices has determined landscape changes inducing reforestation dynamics. This phenomenon can be contrasted with rewilding practices, i.e., the reintroduction of animals that may promote the recovery of landscape diversity. In this study, we explore the dynamics of expansion of two reintroduced populations of wild ungulates, Italian roe deer (Capreolus capreolus italicus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus), assessing their contribution in the recovery of landscape diversity. Methods By using direct and indirect information on the two species, collected by nocturnal and diurnal surveys and camera trapping, we modelled a habitat suitability map, and estimated the density and distribution of the populations. We also performed a land use changes analysis, combining the presence of wild ungulates and livestock. Results and Discussion We demonstrated that deer dispersed gradually from their release location, increasing in population size, and this occurred in the entire study area. Moreover, we show that areas with lower grazing density are significantly affected by forest encroachment. A possible interpretation of this result could be that wild grazers (roe deer and red deer) prefer semi-open areas surrounded by the forest. This, in association with other factors, such as domestic grazing, could be one of the main responsible in maintaining landscape mosaic typical of the Apennine mountain, confirming the value of grazers as a landscape management tool. Moreover, we show the possibility to conserve through reintroduction the vulnerable C.c. italicus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Rivieccio
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy,Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudia Troiano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Petrelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Maselli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Domenico Fulgione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Buglione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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9
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Dankwa EA, Lambert S, Hayes S, Thompson RN, Donnelly CA. Stochastic modelling of African swine fever in wild boar and domestic pigs: Epidemic forecasting and comparison of disease management strategies. Epidemics 2022; 40:100622. [PMID: 36041286 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2022.100622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF), caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), is highly virulent in domestic pigs and wild boar (Sus scrofa), causing up to 100% mortality. The recent epidemic of ASF in Europe has had a serious economic impact and poses a threat to global food security. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment or vaccine against ASFV, limiting the available disease management strategies. Mathematical models allow us to further our understanding of infectious disease dynamics and evaluate the efficacy of disease management strategies. The ASF Challenge, organised by the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, aimed to expand the development of ASF transmission models to inform policy makers in a timely manner. Here, we present the model and associated projections produced by our team during the challenge. We developed a stochastic model combining transmission between wild boar and domestic pigs, which was calibrated to synthetic data corresponding to different phases describing the epidemic progression. The model was then used to produce forward projections describing the likely temporal evolution of the epidemic under various disease management scenarios. Despite the interventions implemented, long-term projections forecasted persistence of ASFV in wild boar, and hence repeated outbreaks in domestic pigs. A key finding was that it is important to consider the timescale over which different measures are evaluated: interventions that have only limited effectiveness in the short term may yield substantial long-term benefits. Our model has several limitations, partly because it was developed in real-time. Nonetheless, it can inform understanding of the likely development of ASF epidemics and the efficacy of disease management strategies, should the virus continue its spread in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sébastien Lambert
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Hayes
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Robin N Thompson
- Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; Zeeman Institute for Systems Biology and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Research, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Christl A Donnelly
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom.
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10
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Guerrasio T, Brogi R, Marcon A, Apollonio M. Assessing the precision of wild boar density estimations. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tancredi Guerrasio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari via Vienna 2, I‐07100 Sassari Italy
| | - Rudy Brogi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari via Vienna 2, I‐07100 Sassari Italy
| | - Andrea Marcon
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari via Vienna 2, I‐07100 Sassari Italy
| | - Marco Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari via Vienna 2, I‐07100 Sassari Italy
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11
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Abstract
The recent and ever-growing problem of boar (Sus scrofa forms including wild boar, hybrid and feral pig) expansion is a very complex issue in wildlife management. The damages caused to biodiversity and the economies are addressed in different ways by the various countries, but research is needed to shed light on the causal factors of this emergency before defining a useful collaborative management policy. In this review, we screened more than 280 references published between 1975–2022, identifying and dealing with five hot factors (climate change, human induced habitat modifications, predator regulation on the prey, hybridization with domestic forms, and transfaunation) that could account for the boar expansion and its niche invasion. We also discuss some issues arising from this boar emergency, such as epizootic and zoonotic diseases or the depression of biodiversity. Finally, we provide new insights for the research and the development of management policies.
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12
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Bakhteeva I, Timofeev V. Some Peculiarities of Anthrax Epidemiology in Herbivorous and Carnivorous Animals. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12060870. [PMID: 35743901 PMCID: PMC9224990 DOI: 10.3390/life12060870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anthrax is an especially dangerous zooanthroponosis caused by the Gram-positive spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. A notable feature of this disease is the difference in susceptibility to it among different groups of animals. Anthrax primarily affects herbivorous ungulate mammals; they are easily infected, and their disease often leads to rapid, even sudden, death. However, predators and scavengers are extremely resistant to anthrax, and if they become infected, they usually become mildly ill. As the result of the increased sensitivity of ungulates to anthrax and the possibility of disease transmission from them to humans, most studies of anthrax have focused on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of infection in farm animals and humans. The issues of anthrax in other animals, such as predators, and the peculiarities of anthrax epidemiology in wild ungulates have not been sufficiently detailed in the literature. In this article, we provide a review of literature sources that describe the differential susceptibility to infection of various groups of animals to anthrax and some epidemiological features of anthrax in animals that are not the main hosts of B. anthracis.
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13
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Wenting E, Rinzema SCY, van Langevelde F. Functional differences in scavenger communities and the speed of carcass decomposition. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8576. [PMID: 35228859 PMCID: PMC8861590 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Carcass decomposition largely depends on vertebrate scavengers. However, how behavioral differences between vertebrate scavenger species, the dominance of certain species, and the diversity of the vertebrate scavenger community affect the speed of carcass decomposition is poorly understood. As scavenging is an overlooked trophic interaction, studying the different functional roles of vertebrate species in the scavenging process increases our understanding about the effect of the vertebrate scavenger community on carcass decomposition. We used motion-triggered infrared camera trap footages to profile the behavior and activity of vertebrate scavengers visiting carcasses in Dutch nature areas. We grouped vertebrate scavengers with similar functional roles. We found a clear distinction between occasional scavengers and more specialized scavengers, and we found wild boar (Sus scrofa) to be the dominant scavenger species in our study system. We showed that these groups are functionally different within the scavenger community. We found that overall vertebrate scavenger diversity was positively correlated with carcass decomposition speed. With these findings, our study contributes to the understanding about the different functional roles scavengers can have in ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Wenting
- Department of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology and PhysiologyInstitute for Water and Wetland ResearchRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Salomé C. Y. Rinzema
- Department of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Frank van Langevelde
- Department of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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14
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Petrelli S, Buglione M, Maselli V, Troiano C, Larson G, Frantz L, Manin A, Ricca E, Baccigalupi L, Wright D, Pietri C, Fulgione D. Population genomic, olfactory, dietary, and gut microbiota analyses demonstrate the unique evolutionary trajectory of feral pigs. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:220-237. [PMID: 34676935 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Domestication is an intriguing evolutionary process. Many domestic populations are subjected to strong human-mediated selection, and when some individuals return to the wild, they are again subjected to selective forces associated with new environments. Generally, these feral populations evolve into something different from their wild predecessors and their members typically possess a combination of both wild and human selected traits. Feralisation can manifest in different forms on a spectrum from a wild to a domestic phenotype. This depends on how the rewilded domesticated populations can readapt to natural environments based on how much potential and flexibility the ancestral genome retains after its domestication signature. Whether feralisation leads to the evolution of new traits that do not exist in the wild or to convergence with wild forms, however, remains unclear. To address this question, we performed population genomic, olfactory, dietary, and gut microbiota analyses on different populations of Sus scrofa (wild boar, hybrid, feral and several domestic pig breeds). Porcine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) analysis shows that the feral population represents a cluster distinctly separate from all others. Its members display signatures of past artificial selection, as demonstrated by values of FST in specific regions of the genome and bottleneck signature, such as the number and length of runs of homozygosity. Generalised FST values, reacquired olfactory abilities, diet, and gut microbiota variation show current responses to natural selection. Our results suggest that feral pigs are an independent evolutionary unit which can persist so long as levels of human intervention remain unchanged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Petrelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Buglione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Maselli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudia Troiano
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Greger Larson
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Laurent Frantz
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Aurelie Manin
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ezio Ricca
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Loredana Baccigalupi
- Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Dominic Wright
- IFM Biology, AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Christian Pietri
- Fédération Départementale des Chasseurs de Haute-Corse (FDCHC), Résidence Nouvelle-Corniche, St Joseph, Bastia, France
| | - Domenico Fulgione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
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15
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Traditional Free-Ranging Livestock Farming as a Management Strategy for Biological and Cultural Landscape Diversity: A Case from the Southern Apennines. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10090957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Mediterranean mountain landscapes are undergoing a widespread phenomenon of abandonment. This brings, as a consequence, the loss of traditional land use practices, such as transhumant pastoralism, as well as shrub and wood encroachment, with repercussions on the biodiversity associated with semi-open, human-managed landscapes. In this study, we focus on a mountain pasture from the Southern Apennines (Italy), where free-ranging transhumant grazing is still carried out, to quantify the effects of grazing presence and exclusion on arthropod diversity, and to qualitatively characterize the plant communities of grazed and ungrazed areas. Using field sampling, remote sensing, and semi-structured interviews, we assessed the validity of traditional cattle farming as a landscape management tool. Indeed, high diversity grasslands excluded from grazing were characterized by significantly less even and more dominated arthropod communities, as well as fewer plant species and families. Moreover, in areas that have been consistently grazed over the years, we found no forest encroachment from 1955 to 2019. However, rural communities are experiencing difficulties in keeping local traditions alive, even with current agri-environmental schemes. Thus, traditional livestock grazing can be a valuable management tool to maintain high biological and cultural diversity, even if stronger cooperation and attention to local needs is necessary.
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16
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Cappa F, Bani L, Meriggi A. Factors affecting the crop damage by wild boar (Sus scrofa) and effects of population control in the Ticino and Lake Maggiore Park (North-western Italy). Mamm Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-021-00125-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWild boar foraging impacts the crops, pastures, and meadows causing remarkable losses to agricultural income. Protected areas located in plains, such as the Ticino Valley Natural Park, are characterized by the coexistence of important natural habitats and intensive agricultural areas. In the Park, from 2010 to 2017, 49% of the complaints report an event of damage to maize and 43% to meadows. The total expense for reimbursements of the maize amounted to € 439,341.52, with damages concentrated in May, after sowing period and between August and September, during the milky stage of maize. For meadows reimbursements amounted to € 324,768.66, with damage events concentrated in February and March. To reduce damage to crops, the Park administration carried out lethal control of the wild boar population. From 2006 to 2017, the most used control method was culling from hunting hides. In our analysis, we did not find significant relationships between the number of shot boars and the damage amount. The factors that determine the decrease of damage probability to crops are mainly related to human disturbance and the characteristics of the fields. The predictive model of damage risk built comparing damaged and undamaged fields showed a good predictive ability. The population viability analyses showed that it is impossible to obtain a drastic reduction of population with the current harvest rate. By tripling it and focusing on the females and sub-adult a numerical reduction of 50% of the population would be achievable in 7 years and the probability of population survival would be halved in 3 years.
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17
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LAVELLE MICHAELJ, SNOW NATHANP, ELLIS CHRISTINEK, HALSETH JOSEPHM, FISCHER JUSTINW, GLOW MICHAELP, VANNATTA ERICH, FRIESENHAHN BETHANYA, VERCAUTEREN KURTC. Improved Strategies for Handling Entire Sounders of Wild Pigs. WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- MICHAEL J. LAVELLE
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - NATHAN P. SNOW
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - CHRISTINE K. ELLIS
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - JOSEPH M. HALSETH
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - JUSTIN W. FISCHER
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - MICHAEL P. GLOW
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - ERIC H. VANNATTA
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
| | - BETHANY A. FRIESENHAHN
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University, 700 University Boulevard Kingsville TX 78363 USA
| | - KURT C. VERCAUTEREN
- USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center 4101 LaPorte Avenue Fort Collins CO 80521 USA
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18
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Norscia I, Coco E, Robino C, Chierto E, Cordoni G. Yawn contagion in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa). Sci Rep 2021; 11:1851. [PMID: 33473157 PMCID: PMC7817675 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80545-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Contrary to spontaneous yawning—an ancient phenomenon common to vertebrates—contagious yawning (elicited by others’ yawns) has been found only in highly social species and may reflect an emotional inter-individual connection. We investigated yawn contagion in the domestic pig, Sus scrofa. Owing to the complex socio-emotional and cognitive abilities of Sus scrofa, we posited that yawn contagion could be present in this species (Prediction 1) and influenced by individual/social factors (Prediction 2). In June-November 2018, on 104 semi-free ranging adolescent/adult pigs, 224 videos were recorded for video analysis on yawning. Kinship information was refined via genetic analyses. Statistical elaboration was conducted via GLMMs and non-parametric/randomization/cross-tabulation tests. We found yawn contagion in Sus scrofa, as it was more likely that pigs yawned when perceiving rather than not perceiving (yawning/control condition) others’ yawns (response peak in the first out of three minutes). Yawn contagion was more likely: (1) in response to males’ yawns; (2) as the age increased; (3) within short distance (1 m); (4) between full siblings, with no significant association between kinship and distance. The influence of kinship suggests that—as also hypothesized for Homo sapiens—yawn contagion might be linked with emotional communication and possibly contagion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Norscia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy.
| | - Elisabetta Coco
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Carlo Robino
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Chierto
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Giada Cordoni
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy.
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19
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Davidson A, Shanas U, Malkinson D. Age- and sex-dependent vigilance behaviour modifies social structure of hunted wild boar populations. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/wr21017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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20
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Erdtmann D, Keuling O. Behavioural patterns of free roaming wild boar in a spatiotemporal context. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10409. [PMID: 33240682 PMCID: PMC7680034 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the almost worldwide distributed wild boar Sus scrofa is a well-studied species, little is known about the behaviour of autochthonous, free living wild boar in a spatiotemporal context which can help to better understand wild boar in conflict terms with humans and to find solutions. The use of camera traps is a favourable and non-invasive method to study them. To observe natural behaviour, 60 camera traps were placed for three months in a state forest of 17.8 km2 in the region of the Luneburg Heath in northern Germany. In this area wild boar, roe deer, red deer, wolves and humans are common. The cameras recorded 20 s length video clips when animals passed the detection zone and could be triggered again immediately afterwards. In total 38 distinct behavioural elements were observed, which were assigned to one of seven behavioural categories. The occurrence of the behavioural categories per day was evaluated to compare their frequencies and see which are more essential than others. Generalised Additive Models were used to analyse the occurrence of each behaviour in relation to habitat and activity time. The results show that essential behavioural categories like foraging behaviour, locomotion and vigilance behaviour occurred more frequently than behaviour that "just" served for the well-being of wild boar. These three behavioural categories could be observed together mostly in the night in broad-leaved forests with a herb layer of 50-100%, comfort behaviour occurred mostly at the ponds in coniferous forest. It is also observable that the behavioural categories foraging and comfort behaviour alternated several times during the night which offers the hypothesis that foraging is mostly followed by comfort behaviour. These findings pave the way towards implementing effective control strategies in the wild and animal welfare in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Erdtmann
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Oliver Keuling
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
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21
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Buglione M, Troisi SR, Petrelli S, van Vugt M, Notomista T, Troiano C, Bellomo A, Maselli V, Gregorio R, Fulgione D. The First Report on the Ecology and Distribution of the Wolf Population in Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. BIOL BULL+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359021010040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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22
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Barasona JA, Risalde MA, Ortíz JA, Gonzalez-Barrio D, Che-Amat A, Pérez-Sancho M, Vargas-Castillo L, Xeidakis A, Jurado-Tarifa E, Gortázar C. Disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-020-1363-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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23
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Iliopoulos Y, Astaras C, Lazarou Y, Petridou M, Kazantzidis S, Waltert M. Tools for co-existence: fladry corrals efficiently repel wild wolves (Canis lupus) from experimental baiting sites. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/wr18146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context Mitigating wolf–livestock conflict is crucial for both wolf (Canis lupus) conservation and livestock farming. Wolf attacks at livestock gathering areas often result in surplus killing, severe economic losses and emotional distress for the farmers, and financial claims from compensation funds. They may also trigger retaliatory killing of wolves. One method for reducing attacks on gathered livestock is the fladry fence, a primary repellent based on wolf neophobia. Fladry, used mainly in North America, remains largely untested in southern Europe. Aims To test the effectiveness of fladry corrals at excluding wild wolves from experimental feeding sites and discuss their potential for protecting livestock in human-dominated landscapes. Methods We tested the repelling efficiency of fladry corrals at six stations baited with livestock remains close to the homesites of three wild-wolf packs in central-northern Greece. Using infrared cameras, we recorded approaching and feeding rates of wolves, brown bears and wild boars attracted to the baits, before and during fladry use. Key results The feeding rate of all wolf packs reduced to zero during fladry use. Effective repelling lasted from 23 to 157 days and ended with the removal of fladry. Wolf approaches also reduced by 75%. Modelling of wolf-approach levels showed fladry effect to be stronger when using a less attractive bait and weaker as pre-baiting duration or wolves’ pre-exposure time to fladry increased. Fladry also significantly reduced the overall feeding rates of wild boars, whereas repellence of brown bears was poor. Key conclusions Fladry can be a cost-effective tool to exclude wolves from small-sized corrals, for weeks or months. It may also be useful for repelling wild boar. We recommend further testing with live-prey at the regional scale with standardised protocols. Implications Fladry installation at farms should take into account livestock attractiveness and wolf habituation. Fladry efficiency and deterrence duration can be improved when it is combined with other livestock protection methods. Wolf habituation to fladry can be reduced by deploying it primarily in high-risk depredation areas. Moreover, deployment soon after an attack could prevent wolves from associating specific farms with being sources of prey.
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24
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Guo W, Cao G, Quan RC. Population dynamics and space use of wild boar in a tropical forest, Southwest China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2017.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Fulgione D, Trapanese M, Buglione M, Rippa D, Polese G, Maresca V, Maselli V. Pre-birth sense of smell in the wild boar: the ontogeny of the olfactory mucosa. ZOOLOGY 2017; 123:11-15. [PMID: 28550945 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Animals recognize their surrounding environments through the sense of smell by detecting thousands of chemical odorants. Wild boars (Sus scrofa) completely depend on their ability to recognize chemical odorants: to detect food, during scavenging and searching partners, during breeding periods and to avoid potential predators. Wild piglets must be prepared for the chemical universe that they will enter after birth, and they show intense neuronal activity in the olfactory mucosa. With this in mind, we investigated the morpho-functional embryonic development of the olfactory mucosa in the wild boar (in five stages before birth). Using mRNA expression analysis of olfactory marker protein and neuropeptide Y, involved in the function of olfactory sensory neurons, we show early activation of the appropriate genes in the wild boar. We hypothesize olfactory pre-birth development in wild boar is highly adaptive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Fulgione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Martina Trapanese
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Buglione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Daniela Rippa
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Gianluca Polese
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Viviana Maresca
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Maselli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
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Battocchio D, Iacolina L, Canu A, Mori E. How much does it cost to look like a pig in a wild boar group? Behav Processes 2017; 138:123-126. [PMID: 28274764 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Hybridization between domestic and wild species is known to widely occur and it is reported to be one of the major causes of the current biodiversity crisis. Despite this, poor attention has been deserved to the behavioural ecology of hybrids, in particular in relation to their social behaviour. We carried out a camera trap study to assess whether phenotypically anomalous colouration in wild boar, i.e. potentially introgressed with domestic pigs, affected the hierarchical structure of wild boar social groups. Chromatically anomalous wild boars (CAWs) were detected in 32 out of 531 wild boar videos. In most videos (75%) CAWs were the latest of the group, independently from their age class and group composition. Aggressions by their wild type fellows were recorded in 31.25% videos; by contrast, no aggression among wild type individuals was observed. The lack of camouflage may expose CAWs, and thus their group, to a higher predation risk, compared to wild type groups. This individual loss of local adaptation may increase predation risk by the wolf or detection by hunters, being maladaptive for the whole social group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Battocchio
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Via Muroni 25, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Laura Iacolina
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 7 H, 9220 Aalborg East, Denmark
| | - Antonio Canu
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Via Muroni 25, 07100 Sassari, Italy; CIRSeMAF - Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, I-50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Emiliano Mori
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy.
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27
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Focardi S, Morimando F, Capriotti S, Ahmed A, Genov P. Cooperation improves the access of wild boars (Sus scrofa) to food sources. Behav Processes 2015; 121:80-6. [PMID: 26522932 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Wild boar is a highly polycotous ungulate species, characterized by a complex and dynamical social organization based on the maintenance of long-term bonds between mother and daughters. The roots of this social organization have to be researched at the individual level, considering adaptations that improve fitness in hostile environments. We used information collected by camera-traps at artificial feeding sites, in two contrasting environments in Bulgaria (mountain habitat) and Italy (sub-Mediterranean habitat). We recorded 417 and 885 distinct groups on 7 and 11 foraging sites in Bulgaria and Italy, respectively. We computed (controlling for time range, study area and supplementary feeding site) an index of effective foraging time of the different social groups. We observed a positive and significant effect of the number of conspecifics of the same social group on the effective foraging time. The impact of the other social classes on effective foraging time is also positive, and males, yearlings, and juveniles benefited more from the presence of other social classes, while females were less affected. The access of the different social groups to foraging sites is not random. Males and yearlings play producers (i.e., search for food) and are prone to attend foraging sites before adult females and subadults, so attaining a larger foraging efficiency with respect to a situation where other groups are already present on the feeding site. Wild boars exhibit a more complex social organisation than previously believed, where cooperation prevails largely on competition. A rough division of labour is also present: yearlings, males, and juveniles use to play producers and assume a significant amount of risk determined by the presence of predators or hunters.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Focardi
- ISC-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
| | - F Morimando
- ATC 18 Siena 2, Via Massetana Romana 34, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - S Capriotti
- Associazione Scientifico-Culturale UNIFAUNA, 50026 San Casciano V.P., Italy
| | - A Ahmed
- IBEI-BAN, Boul. T. Osvoboditel 1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - P Genov
- IBEI-BAN, Boul. T. Osvoboditel 1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
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