Diet of wild boar (Sus scrofa) in a protected area of Argentina: the importance of baiting

BALLARI, SEBASTIAN A.; M. F. CUEVAS; R. A. OJEDA; J. L. NAVARRO

ACTA THERIOLOGICA

POLISH ACAD SCIENCES

Lugar: Bialowieza; Año: 2014 vol. 60 p. 81 - 87

0001-7051

The wild boar is an invasive mammal in Argentina that generates habitat alteration, predation, and competition that threaten several native species due to its flexible andbroad diet and its rooting behavior. We evaluated the diet of wild boar in El Palmar National Park (EPNP), assessing its composition, seasonality, and importance of baiting. Vegetable matter represented the major component of the diet, where corn was the most abundant food item, which is used as bait to hunt wild boars. Animal remains were also abundant andmostly consisted of birds. Wild boar diet exhibited marked seasonality that seems related to food availability, such as the occurrence of fruits in summer. Currently, the importance ofbait in the diet could support and complement the diet of wild boar and improve their reproduction triggering the population growth. Also, the impacts on native biodiversity may be hidden due to the constant food subsidy of corn. We recommend the implementation of other control methods such as hunting with dogs or traps and the use of alternative baits, asodor baits, to avoid the supplemental feeding, or finally, if corn baiting is continuous, we suggest regulating their quantity and frequency. Further studies on wild boar diet andbaiting methods should be conducted due to its multiple implications on wild boar  populations and native ecosystems.