Wild boar carcasses in the center of boar activity: crucial risks of ASF transmission.

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly virulent disease rapidly spreading through Europe with fatal consequences for wild boar and domestic pigs. Understanding pathogen transmission among individuals and populations is crucial for disease control. However, the carcass attractiveness for boars was surprisingly almost unstudied.

Different patterns of human activities in nature during Covid-19 pandemic and African swine fever outbreak confirm direct impact on wildlife disruption.

Implementation of various restrictions to eradicate viral diseases has globally affected human activity and subsequently nature. But how can the altered routines of human activity (restrictions, lockdowns) affect wildlife behaviour? This study compared the differences between human and wildlife occurrences in the study forest area with acreage of 5430.6 ha in 2018 (African swine fever outbreak, complete entrance ban), 2019 (standard pattern) and 2020 (COVID-19 restrictions) during the breeding season.

Wild boar deathbed choice in relation to ASF: Are there any differences between positive and negative carcasses?

African swine fever (ASF) is a fatal, infectious disease affecting wild boars and domestic pigs, mostly resulting in their deaths. Previous studies showed that carcasses of infected wild boars pose a serious threat for ASF virus transmission and leaving of dead bodies in the environment enables persistence of the disease in the given affected area. Therefore, the prompt finding and removal of the carcasses is crucial for effective ASF control.

Confirmed cannibalism in wild boar and its possible role in African swine fever transmission.

For the monitoring of wild boar interactions with conspecific carcasses, seven wild boar carcasses were placed in different sites in the Czech Republic during winter season. Data were collected by camera traps. In total, 732 visits were recorded of wild boars at the carcass sites.

First findings of brown hare (Lepus europaeus) reintroduction in relation to seasonal impact.

In Europe, brown hare (Lepus europaeus) populations have been declining steadily since the 1970s. Gamekeepers can help to support brown hare wild populations by releasing cage-reared hares into the wild. Survival rates of cage-reared hares has been investigated in previous studies, however, survival times in relation to seasonality, which likely plays a crucial role for the efficacy of this management strategy, has not been evaluated.