Dutch boar dropping dead

[sauer]

As per title .... but apparently NOT African swine flu ......

'Mystery illness' strikes Dutch wild boar 'Mystery illness' strikes Dutch wild boar

 

[Orion]

Some varying population figures being bandied about there - not unusual when it comes to wild boar, but these seem somewhat excessive!

Park is some 5,400ha with (according to their website) a maintained spring population target of 50 boar after winter culling.

BBC article quotes "Hoge Veluwe reserve alone has a population of more than 6,000" and "about 150 boar die every year, often in traffic collisions".

If "as many as 70" have already died of the "Mystery Illness" this year, then, if the Park's own figures are to be believed, there will be very few, if any, left come next year.

Anyway, it's obviously the wolves wot done it guv. (Just don't let the rewilders know or they'll want them let loose in the FoD!).

 

[opticron1]

Sorry to hear about this as the Hoge Veluwe reserve is very well managed and the boar, mouflon and deer numbers tend to be well controlled to ensure over population in the reserve doesn't occur. It's very popular with visitors, but the wildlife tends to stay well away and unlikely to get stressed. Not seen any wolves there, but a few foxes, it tends to have well maintained fencing around the area, but nature has a way of getting past obstacles like this! I would have thought the Boar would be used to noise as there's an Army training area in part of the park and the sound of automatic weaponry is err.... frequent and heavy. Where the BBC gets its numbers from I don't know, but 6,000 is way over the top! By the way, there is a great art gallery there and is a lovely place to walk or cycle if you're in that part of the Netherlands.

 

[User00025]

I would venture a certain Cwis gives the numbers to the BBC, he knows everything.

 

[Heym SR20]

Boar breed rapidly and can have quite dense populations - but Hoge Veluwe's own website quotes a population of 50 Wild Boars - https://www.hogeveluwe.nl/en/discover-the-park/nature-and-landscape/wild-boars. - There are also 200 Mouflon and 200 odd Red Deer.

I have walked through the park and its really quite dry and sandy so whether it can support a bigger population possibly not. There may also be something lost in translation - Wild Boars just referring to the Adult Males. Even if this is the case then there will be similar number of breeding sows and perhaps 200 or 300 piglets as well.