November 27, 2024
Scotland monitors feral swine for ASF risk
Scotland's feral swine population is under surveillance for African swine fever (ASF), a disease that has been spreading across mainland Europe.
While ASF poses no risk to humans, it is fatal to swine and could potentially reach the UK through non-commercial imported meat.
Scotland is estimated to have several thousand feral swine. These free-roaming animals cannot undergo the same health checks as domestic swine, raising concerns about their potential role in spreading diseases.
To address this, wildlife rangers and other public sector workers have been trained to collect samples from dead swine for testing. Nine Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) rangers, along with staff from Transport Scotland and NatureScot, have received training from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to identify and monitor signs of ASF.
Feral swine in Scotland include hybrids of wild boar and domestic swine, resulting from interbreeding. Wild boars were native to Scotland until they were hunted to extinction 700 years ago. Over the past decade, free-roaming swine populations have emerged in areas such as Dumfries and Galloway and the Highlands, often from escaped or illegally released animals.
A survey is currently being conducted in Portclair Forest near Fort Augustus, in collaboration with the APHA, to better understand the feral pig population. Since April, FLS rangers have culled 46 feral swine, with two in northeast Scotland, 21 in the Highlands, and 23 in Dumfries and Galloway or the Scottish Borders. The largest populations are found in the Highlands and the south of Scotland.
Grant Carson of FLS' south region stated the importance of monitoring the health of these animals to mitigate risks. He expressed hope that the collaborative efforts with APHA would establish an early warning system for infectious diseases potentially entering the UK.
NatureScot's wildlife management manager, Alastair MacGugan, emphasised the need for controlling feral pigs to reduce disease risks. He urged land managers to follow NatureScot's best practice guidance for control measures and remain vigilant for signs of ASF or other diseases.
- BBC News