An Overview on Feral Hog Management in Brazil after Three Years of Control Regulation

Abstract

Feral hogs are known to be expanding their range in Brazil since late 1980s and reports of damage to crops and livestock predation have become more frequent lately. Just recently, the use of lethal methods for feral hog control was legalized in Brazil, and there are still several restrictions, particularly towards the purchase and transportation of guns and ammunition. Results of questionnaires from feral hog hunters showed that around half of them still act illegally, and hunting with dogs was the main technique used for controlling feral hogs. We believe that to enhance feral hog control in Brazil, legislation needs to be reviewed, and a national control program needs to be created involving researchers, government agencies, and hunters, working together on development and implementation of more efficient techniques for feral hog population control.

Wild Pigs in an Irreplaceable Area for Biodiversity Conservation: Current Situation and Importance of the Local Community in the Population Control

“…rain, wind) ( Figure 1). Residents of local communities also report the destruction of agricultural crops, the predation of livestock, the triggering of erosion processes and, as observed in the field, destruction of small streams and springs [8] . Wild pigs can trigger negative or neutral effects on the ecosystem, but also they can have a positive effect when replacing ecological functions of extinct native species and kept in low densities [12,13] .…”

“…Currently, wild pigs have the largest distribution among exotic mammals occurring in Brazil [5] , with population estimates ranging from 0.22 [4] to 22.3 individuals per km² [6] . With social and environmental impacts increasing in Brazil [7,8] , many people have carried out the control of wild pigs that has been authorized since 2013. In Brazil any citizen can control wild pigs using live traps and hunting techniques (e.g.…”

“…Currently, to carry out this activity, it is necessary to receive a license from control activities of wild pigs in the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources Institute (in Portuguese, Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis, IBAMA), and/or the Army in the case of the use of firearms and authorization from the area manager in the case of control carried out within protected areas. Hunting has been the main form of control of the species in the country, and many hunters are motivated by the opportunity to legally hunt, with a mean of 16.8 wild pigs/year/hunter [8] .…”

“…Despite occasional attempts to regulate this activity over the years [8] , wild pig control is the first hunting experience institutions. One of the main impacts of wild pigs is the transmission of diseases to herds of domestic pigs and even humans [1] .…”

Perception of the presence, impacts and control of the invasive species Sus scrofa in the local community living near the Itatiaia National Park, Brazil

“…Five years later, many rural producers and PAs managers from the region began to have problems with the wild pigs, mainly due to the attacks on crops and gardens, degradation of streams, springs and predation of araucaria seeds (Rosa 2016). Since 2014 the managers of the INP perform as needed action to control the wild pigs inside park territory (Rosa et al 2016).…”