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Symmetry of Wild Boar Damage to Agricultural Crops: Results of over 20 Years of Damage Monitoring in Central Europe
Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Institute of Animal Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
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Animals 2025, 15(11), 1587; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111587
Submission received: 10 April 2025
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Revised: 23 May 2025
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Accepted: 26 May 2025
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Published: 29 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Animal System and Management)
Simple Summary
This study looked at over 9800 cases of wild boar damage to crops, recorded consistently over more than 20 years in a farming area in central Europe. Because the area and the types of crops stayed almost the same, researchers could clearly see how wild boar behaved throughout the seasons. The animals showed different feeding habits at different times of the year, such as eating grasses in spring, cereals in summer, and root crops in late autumn. Three main patterns of damage were found. In spring, damage was rare but often very serious. In late summer and autumn, it happened more often but was usually less harmful. In some periods, like winter or late spring and early summer, boar were less active in fields. Knowing when and where wild boar are most active could help farmers and wildlife managers reduce both financial losses from crop damage and health threats to livestock from diseases like African Swine Fever.
Abstract
This study analyzed 9871 cases of wild boar damage recorded over more than 20 years using a consistent methodology in a 5000-hectare area with minimal changes in crop structure. This allowed for a reliable assessment of seasonal damage dynamics. Wild boar exhibited seasonal feeding preferences: grasses in spring, cereals in summer, legumes in early autumn, and root crops in late autumn. A bimodal pattern of damage was identified, comprising three types. The rare and severe pattern occurred in spring when the wild boar population at its lowest size caused infrequent but highly damaging events, mainly in meadows. The frequent and weak pattern appeared in late summer and autumn when wild boar numbers were two to three times higher, leading to frequent but less severe damage. The indirect pattern was linked to lower field attractiveness in summer and winter. The high symmetry of damage observed suggests that an effective wild boar management strategy should account for not only damage reduction but also sanitary risks, such as ASF.
