From 2004 to 2007, blood samples from 273 healthy wild boars (Sus scrofa), culled during the hunting season, were obtained in three areas of Catalonia (NE Spain): Pyrenees,

Background Establishing reference intervals (RI) for hematologic and biochemical variables in wild animals presents great challenges because capture stress or anesthesia during sampling can affect blood variables. Objectives The aims of this study were to establish RI for hematologic and blood biochemistry variables for Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) caught using cage traps, and provide information on the studied variables for different age groups. Methods Blood samples were obtained from 89 Wild Boars captured by cage trap between 2005 and 2013 in northeastern Spain. Piglets were handled without anesthesia, while juvenile and adult animals were anesthetized using a combination of tiletamine and zolazepam. Blood samples were collected from the anterior vena cava and were placed into plain and EDTA tubes. Thirteen hematologic and 21 biochemical variables were determined. Reference intervals for piglets and juvenile and adult groups were determined, and differences between these groups were statistically analyzed. Results Adults had higher HGB, PCV, MCH, MCHC, neutrophil count, and total protein, albumin, creatinine, and chloride concentrations than juveniles; in contrast, juveniles had higher values for lymphocyte count, cholesterol concentration, and ALP activity. Conclusions Reference intervals determined in this study provide a baseline for interpreting hematologic and biochemical results in Wild Boar at different age stages, and contribute to optimization of the management of this species.

The wild boar population in Spain has increased in recent decades due to a number of factors, including increased food availability, the abandonment of crops, as well as through hybridization with the domestic pig. Studying dispersal is useful for understanding the ecology of a species and the spread of diseases in wildlife. In the case of the wild boar (Sus scrofa), its dispersal depends on environmental changes, food availability, population density, and hunting pressure. The goal of this study was to describe the dispersal of wild boars captured with cage-traps, anesthetized and marked with ear tags between 2008 and 2012 in Catalonia (northeast Spain). Six of 40 wild boars (16 males and 24 females) were recaptured at a mean linear distance of 45.8 km (min. 30, max. 89.8) from their origin. Surprisingly, females dispersed more than males, 57.7 km on average, a distance 1.7 times greater than females in other parts of the world. These dispersal patterns can be partially explained by the need for new territories. This mammal has experienced a huge increase in both distribution range and status throughout the Iberian Peninsula, probably due to an increase in vegetation cover and a lack of predators. Hence, any information about its dispersal patterns is of special interest to specific management plans. Despite to our moderate sample size, it is clear that the impressive dispersal ability of wild boar should be taken into account in the design of health surveillance programs of wildlife diseases. 20 || E. Casas-Díaz et al. | Recorded Dispersal of Wild Boar (Sus scrofa

BRUCELLOSIS is found in domestic and feral pigs around the world, and also in wild boar (Sus scrofa), and can be transmitted to human beings. It is considered to be a re-emerging disease in domestic pigs in Europe due to the increasing number of outbreaks on pig farms, often associated with spillover from infected wild boar (Godfroid and Käsbohrer 2002, Leuenberger and others 2007). In Spain, populations of wild boar have increased over the past three decades. In southcentral Spain, fencing, supplemental feeding and illegal restocking of wild boar have become common management practices in order to increase the number of wild boar in the region. These practices are not common in the north of the country, with the exception of uncontrolled restocking, which has been reported in recent decades. Illegal restocking may have been carried out in one of three different ways: by breeding wild boar in captivity and releasing them; by interbreeding domestic pigs and wild boar to increase the size of the animals and the number and size of litters; and by importing and releasing wild boar from other European countries, mainly France (Rosell 1995, Garin-Bastuji and Delcueillerie 2001). There have been previous reports of the seroprevalence of brucella species in wild boar in south-central Spain being as high as 38 per cent in some places (Ruiz-Fons and others 2006). However, reports from the northern half of Spain are scarce (Muñoz and others 2008). This short communication describes a study to determine the prevalence of brucella species antibodies and infection of wild boar populations in Catalonia, northeast Spain. Whole blood samples were collected from 256 wild boar between 2004 and 2006 in Catalonia. They were taken opportunistically from animals killed by hunters, and so sampling was biased towards the hunting season

No abstract