Spain: Wild boar populations are in accelerated growth phase

The Operational Group for the Prevention of African Swine Fever (GO PREVPA) has prepared a report to approximate the population dynamics of wild boar in Spain.

For the period evaluated, from 2010 to 2016, the annual growth increases with abundance up to a tipping point -approximately 1.5 wild boar per square kilometer of suitable habitat area- and then there is a gradual reduction in population growth rates. Thus, three distinct categories by province are established according to the results of these density dependence tests.

• The first category corresponds to those with a high density of wild boars and a low growth rate. This category includes only the provinces of Huesca and Girona, which means that in both Pyrenean territories -the Pre-Pyrenees being the most favorable area- the maximum level of wild boar populations would have been reached.
• Barcelona, Valencia, and Alicante would be grouped in a second category with high growth rates, which means that they are currently in potential expansion.
• The rest of the provinces analyzed are classified in a third category that represents those territories with a low relative abundance and a low annual growth rate, but with the potential to increase both indicators in the future.

Thus, the preliminary analysis of wild boar population data shows that the populations of this species in Spain may be approaching their inflection point, although most of the provinces are in a phase of accelerated growth. This poses a threat in the immediate future because of the problems associated with the overabundance of this species, which is a carrier of diseases such as African swine fever.