Wild boars in sight: use against the African swine fever!

Wild boars in sight: use against the African swine fever!

The decision to kill wild boar in the Mainz-Gonsenheim wildlife park On Monday, a highlight of the challenges in dealing with the African swine plague (ASP), which has been demonstrated in the region in the past few weeks. As merkurist.de , four wild boars were shot to prevent the disease possible. The veterinary office of the Mainz-Bingen district strongly recommended this measure because an infection could not be excluded from the feeding of visitors.

The African swine plague, which has been detected in the area around Oppenheim, Mariannaue and Ingelheim since mid -December, can have serious consequences for animal husbandry and the local population. An outbreak in the wildlife park would have led to the establishment of protection and surveillance zones within a radius of three and ten kilometers, which would have resulted in considerable restrictions, including bans for the Gonsenheimer Wald.

health and animal welfare

The decision to kill the wild boars was not easy. Alternatives such as the construction of a stable to accommodate the animals were rejected as not species -appropriate for animal welfare reasons. Transport to another location outside the restriction zone would not have been legally allowed. The recognized danger situation led to the realization that the wild boars could die painfully if they were infected.

To prevent the outbreak of animal disease, numerous measures were also decided. For example, no pigs may be brought in the affected region, and the approximately 300 to 400 domestic pigs in the Mainz-Bingen district are strictly monitored. The general decree records all requirements for the restriction zone, which, among other things, provides for a leash for dogs and a ban on hunting for wild animals, with the exception of wild boar.

challenges for the region

The employees of the veterinary office use innovative methods to find potentially infected wild boar. This includes drones and thermal imaging cameras to efficiently monitor the wild boar population. The district hunter is also integrated into this search. The hunting methods are limited, but a sitting hunt using silencers is allowed in the hunting areas, provided that fewer than two wild boar per 100 hectares have been killed in the past five years.

The African swine fever itself is a highly contagious animal disease that was originally widespread in Africa. As fli.de , the ASP is spreading quickly and has been causing great damage since its first appearance in Georgia, including several European states.

The risk of introducing the ASP to Germany is assessed as high, especially by vehicle and passenger traffic from neighboring countries in which wild boar densities and low organic security prevail. This emphasizes the importance of the current measures taken to combat the ASP in Mainz.