looduskalender.ee

Evidence of boar rootings under oak

 

 

In the future we will probably remember this “wild piggie year” as a period of extraordinary circumstances when the African Swine Fever, AFS,  spread explosively across Estonia. But let us also remember the bright sides of the situation: the attitude of our people towards the forest was tested and tried. We stood the trial successfully, no enmity against wild boars rose.

 

“The hunters have this year had to take on the part of advocate, guaranteeing that the attitude of humans towards boars should be respectful, as it should be towards all animals.” says Tõnis Korts, Executive Director of the Estonian Hunters’ Society. “We are happy that we managed to bring across the message to the public, in cooperation with the Animal of the Year team; boars were not kicked out nor dunked in mud.”

 

On the minus side of the boar year first of all we note the fall in the number of boars. ASF does not spread with the lightning speed as in summer but it still moves slowly towards north and west and in places the forests are empty of wild boar.  But the shooting quota must be fulfilled. The aim is to bring down the number of boars to 3 individuals per 1000 hectares, which means about 11 500 boar for the whole of Estonia,” Tõnis Korts explains. “Whether we will be able to fulfil this target will be clear when the hunting season ends, now is too early to say something definitely.  We only know the number of shot and buried boar; all who have been affected by the disease cannot regrettably be tracked. At present 18 665 animals of the set quota of 29 608 have been shot; the otherwise killed and buried may add over a thousand more. The number of boars in the forests nobody knows yet.

 

On the gain side of the boar year, firstly cooperation with Estonia’s southerly neighbour Latvia should be mentioned; they also have the disease in their forests and the boar as the Animal of the Year in 2015. The Latvians took part in the joint photo contest of Looduskalender and magazine Loodusesõber, “The wild boar – a true pig”. The photos from this are exhibited now in the Latvian Museum of Natural History as well as the Estonian Museum of Natural History in an exhibition with the same name. 

 

Who has not yet had time to go to the exhibition and wants a good overview of the animal of the year before the new one enters – be sure to visit the exhibition “Wild Boar – A True Pig” in the Museum of Natural History. It is open until February 21^st. There you can also creep into a real boar nest.will

The boar stories continue in Looduskalender in the new year as well since there are enough trouble spots connected to boars: the boar theme will not end with the change of year number nor with the arrival of a new Animal of the Year.

 

Vahur Sepp has written the stories in Looduskalender about the annual cycle of the boar during the year. As a mark of appreciation Vahur was presented at the Loodusesõber authors’ Christmas party with a photo of a wild boar family by Ingmar Muusikus. Vahur will also write for us in the Year of the Badger