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On New Year’s Eve a team from the game surveillance department of the Keskkonnateabe Keskus (Estonian Environment Information Centre) managed to fit the first wild boar with a telemetric tracker.

The collar with GPS-GSM tracking equipment was put on the adult boar sow in the Tipu research area of the Kilingi-Nõmme hunting district in the southern part of the Soomaa National Park.The sow was sedated on the feeding ground with a tranquillizer gun before the collar was put in place. According to Marko Kübarsepp and Raido Kont of the game surveillance department staff  the whole operation was very peaceful The telemetric device on the sow sends information about the position of the animal every two hours via the GSM net.

The wild boar studies organized by the Keskkonnateabe Keskus are the first of its kind in the Baltic countries. In nearby areas similar investigations have been run in Sweden and Poland.

The aim is to clarify the effects of supplemental feeding on the choice of territory and the movements of boars, also the effect of supplemental feeding on raccoon dogs and the impact of wild boars and raccoon dogs on ground nesting birds, including protected species such as the capercaillie. According to the project plan a total of up to 5 adult wild boar sows will get tracking devices this year. By monitoring the leader sows information is gained on the activities of the whole flock. The projected research themes and aims are very wide-ranging, thus the investigations are carried out in close cooperation with the Centre for State Forest Management, the Estonian Ornithilogical Society and the Estonian Environmental Board.  

 

Additional information:

Peep Männil, Keskkonnateabe Keskus (Estonian Environmental Information Centre)