Wild Boar Workshop – Online

With the re-emergence of Wild Boar in recent years, its impact is increasingly felt in some parts of England, yet the animals themselves remain largely elusive and much still remains to be learnt about them. This one-day workshop will start with a series of zoom sessions examining the boar’s history, behaviour, ecology, impacts, public perception and management. Our expert trainer will lead a ‘virtual’ afternoon walk in the Forest of Dean to show you field signs linked with this elusive mammal. A question / discussion session will follow, after the virtual walk has concluded.

This course will be held on Zoom with up to 20 participants.

Trainer: Alastair Hughes-Roden

Alastair graduated from the University of Wolverhampton in 2018 with a Masters in Wildlife Conservation. His interest in mammals stemmed from his childhood days in the Forest of Dean, where he used to follow the tracks of deer and boar through the woods. Since then he has undertaken many surveys of large terrestrial mammals throughout the UK and parts of Europe.

Having successfully led many large mammal tracking walks for the RSPB, university groups and numerous mammal societies, Alastair is now focusing and running a group (called Tracker Al), which aims to help graduates and nature lovers gain more practical experience with field signs and tracks, of UK mammals. He is also one of the three members who runs a group called The Boaring Truth, which aims to educate, and provide information regarding wild boar in the Forest of Dean.

Mammal Mapper has an additional feature if you record a dead wild boar sighting. This is because of the risk of exotic diseases such as African Swine Fever (ASF), which is spreading across Europe. This record will generate an immediate alert email to APHA so that the record can be examined. If there is suspicion of disease in the UK, or APHA receive multiple dead sightings then veterinary staff can visit the carcass and sample it for disease. It is therefore very helpful is any such records can not only include a photo of the carcase, but also a wider image or images of the location so that other people could easily find it. ASF is a disease that kills most infected wild boar and can easily spread to domestic pigs. It has been controlled when it occurs in isolated locations, so a quick response from the authorities is vital to help keep this disease out of Britain.

For booking terms and conditions click here. 

*Please note – If not enough delegates book on to this course it may be postponed with two weeks notice, this is because we are a small charity and need to make sure our events are viable.