Breaking: Wild Boar Sightings on Dartmoor
Wild boar by Nick Martin
Around 150 wild boar were released by animal rights activists in North Devon in 2005 and 2006, and despite attempts to contain the population at the time, occasional sightings of boar have been reported in the area ever since. This has included several unconfirmed sightings of wild boar in Dartmoor over the years, and it is therefore not impossible that gradual population spread has led to the recent spate of sightings and encounters in the National Park. There is a possibility, however, that the boar captured on video earlier in February, and the individual animal blamed for a recent attack on a dog, are present due to a more recent illegal release of animals in the landscape. Wild boar are generally elusive creatures and, being crepuscular, are most active at dawn and dusk, spending their days resting up under cover. This behaviour is in part why the species has been able to escape containment in the wild for years after release. Sightings of animals in daylight, and in an area that is fairly devoid of woodland, could suggest that these animals have been introduced suddenly and are unfamiliar with their new surroundings. More information is needed to confirm this, however, since an early morning sighting of boar would be in keeping with natural behaviour, and a boar resting up under foliage would naturally respond defensively if surprised by a dog that it perceived as a potential aggressor.
A deliberate introduction of any species to a landscape should only be undertaken after rigorous scientific work to assess the ecological feasibility (whether the introduced species will thrive without causing harm to other species or habitats). A lot of work is also required to identify any potential for human-wildlife conflict and ensure that these are mitigated against. This can be a time-consuming process and may lead to the decision that a species is simply not an appropriate addition to a particular ecosystem. It might be that three or more sites are assessed and only one proves appropriate. If and when the necessary criteria are met, and a release is considered, it is vital that the animals are carefully sourced and screened for diseases and parasites that could impede their chances of survival and introduce new threats to other wildlife. Any releases that bypass these vital steps is irresponsible, and could cause environmental harm as well as threats to humans and their livelihoods.
In the right conditions, wild boar can play a valuable ecological niche and add to the resilience and biodiversity of a landscape. At the time they were hunted to extinction, their rooting and foraging would have had minimal negative impact, while helping to distribute wildflower bulbs and allow recolonisation of patches of woodland floor by annual wildflower species. In areas with low and fragmented woodland cover, as is the case for much of the UK today, it is possible that wild boar can cause more damage than good. However, it is through monitoring of the impact of the species that we can determine whether this is the case, and given their potential to offer biodiversity benefits it could be short-sighted to assume that they should go without assessing this.
As for human-wildlife conflict, the danger posed by wild boar is generally overstated. Their potential to cause harm due to their size and weight should be held up against the fact that they are secretive and non-aggressive except when provoked. Some education and sensitisation of visitors to an area with wild boar can ensure that conflict is avoided, and for some wildlife lovers the prospect of seeing wild boar or signs of their presence could enhance their enjoyment of a visit.
The fate of the wild boar on Dartmoor should therefore not be a kneejerk response based on a black and white view of wild boar being good or bad in the modern UK landscape. The first step should be to ascertain what is happening and what it could mean for nature and people. Boar are very adaptable and acclimatise very quickly. And it doesn't need to be a straightforward 'leave them be or kill them all'. The population could be closely managed to ensure they're kept in a suitable population size, governed by the carrying capacity of the land available. That carrying capacity would be the key thing to ascertain through study and modelling.
Author: Matt Larsen-Daw