130925-studie-wildlife-comeback-in-europe

trend for Wild boar is based on 10 populations,
representing a minimum of 142,000 individuals
or 4% of the total European population from
2004–2012.
Wild boar are clearly able to sustain these
increasing numbers even in the face of what
appears to be high rates of harvest or exploitation.
For example, populations have been able to sustain
their numbers despite annual kill rates of about
50%, such as in the broadleaved woodlands around
Monticiano in Italy [1] , and in Germany [19] . At face
value, some reported off-take rates appear to be
even higher.
Drivers of recovery
While no factors explained the increase in our data
set, several reasons for resurgence of the Wild boar
in the latter half of the previous century have been
cited in the literature (Table 3). Among them are
deliberate and accidental reintroductions, warmer
winters with less snow leading to greater survival
and reproductive success, hunting control and
lack of management, as well as improved access to
forage earlier in the spring season through more
frequent mast years in their preferred forest and
woodland habitats and an increasing number and
size of arable fields, particularly with crops such as
corn (Table 3). In addition, land abandonment in
some countries has led to larger areas of scrubland,
which the species is able to disperse into. Clearly
these factors are not mutually exclusive, and a
detailed analysis has yet to be compiled across
a representative part of the Wild boar range.
The species is both highly adaptable and highly
resistant to a variety of processes causing degradation
of habitat, which affect other European
species, and appears to thrive under certain forms
of habitat modification.
Recent developments
The Wild boar’s high adaptability and resilience
has enabled it not only to persist but to increase
in the face of a variety of anthropogenic processes
Rank Reason for change Description
1 Species management –
Deliberate and accidental
reintroductions
2 Other – Environmental
conditions and change
France: accelerated growth from 1990 due to
releases from game parks, reserves and high
density populations in the 1980s [18] .
Denmark: populations are the result of
reintroductions [2] .
United Kingdom/Ireland: populations formed from
escaped animals [7] .
Italy: reintroductions after the 1950s contributed to
expansion [22] .
Sweden: species was re-established through
reintroductions and escapes [36] .
Warmer winters and less frequent snow lead to
greater survival rates and increased reproductive
success [6] , for example in Germany [19] and Poland [8] .
Climate change is likely to be beneficial in the future
in Sweden [8] .
3 Other – Land abandonment Spain: expansion and increase were driven by the
abandonment of rural areas, and the associated
increase in scrubland habitat [35] .
4 Species management –
Hunting control and lack of
direct management
5 Other – Increase in food
availability
Firmer control of hunting now exists throughout
many national range states, with upper limits set [6] .
Lack of management has contributed to growth in
Germany [19] .
Germany: increase in corn fields, and artificial
feeding [19] .
Food availability is increased by more and larger
arable fields, and more frequent mast years of
native trees such as oak and beech [6] .
leading to habitat degradation and modification,
and continuing high levels of exploitation. As a
result, it is now a highly common and widespread
species across the whole European continent, and
faces no major threats [1] . Perhaps because of its
impressive range and abundance change history,
data on recent developments relating to the
species are scarce.
Wild boar are by the second most common
ungulates to die in vehicle collisions in many
countries, for example in Germany, where they
accounted for 9% of all accidents involving
ungulates [43] . The large number of individuals
killed on European roads is likely to increase in
future, due both to increasing boar population
density and continued fragmentation of landscape
through infrastructure. In addition, Europe’s large
predators are making a comeback in many regions,
which may have an impact on Wild boar population
size in some areas. However, it is unlikely that
either of these developments will have a noticeable
effect on the species.
Table 3.
Major reasons for
positive change in
the status of the Wild
boar in Europe.
87