1
|
Kontsiotis VJ, Polychronidis A, Liordos V. Motivation and Habits of a Wild Boar-Hunting Community. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1940. [PMID: 38998052 PMCID: PMC11240660 DOI: 10.3390/ani14131940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a widespread ungulate, the populations of which have recently increased throughout most of its range. This increase has caused negative impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity, and society. Nowadays, the wild boar is considered both a valuable game and a pest. Wildlife managers need to know the habits and motivations of wild boar hunters, a key stakeholder group, for effectively managing this controversial mammal. We carried out face-to-face interviews with 134 wild boar hunters in the Evros Prefecture, in the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, northern Greece to determine their hunting habits and their motivation for hunting. Most hunters owned a hunting dog (84.3%), hunted in groups of eight to nine people for 48 days, traveled 60 km, stayed outdoors for 4 nights, and spent weekly EUR 61 on average in each hunting season. Two motivations for wild boar hunting were prominent among the hunters (assessed on a 5-point scale; 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree): a strong recreation motivation (hunting as a recreational activity; mean score 4.159 ± 1.144 SD) and a considerable utility motivation (hunting for its use values; 3.404 ± 1.11). Both recreation and utility motivations were positively associated with the preference for further increases in wild boar populations. Sociodemographic characteristics and hunting habits variously affected motivations and preferred future population trends. The findings revealed specific habits and strong motivations among hunters. Such findings will be useful for designing and implementing education and outreach programs for informing hunters about the negative impacts of wild boars and the need for their control. The participation of hunters in the management process will be critical for its success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios J Kontsiotis
- Department of Forest and Natural Environment Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, P.O. Box 172, 66100 Drama, Greece
| | - Apostolos Polychronidis
- Department of Forest and Natural Environment Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, P.O. Box 172, 66100 Drama, Greece
| | - Vasilios Liordos
- Department of Forest and Natural Environment Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, P.O. Box 172, 66100 Drama, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Balčiauskas L, Kučas A, Balčiauskienė L. Trends and Characteristics of Human Casualties in Wildlife-Vehicle Accidents in Lithuania, 2002-2022. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1452. [PMID: 38791668 PMCID: PMC11117198 DOI: 10.3390/ani14101452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
We analyzed 474 human casualties in wildlife-vehicle accidents (WVAs) that occurred between 2002 and 2022 in Lithuania, which is a small northern European country. The study revealed the escalating trend of WVAs, since 2018 surpassing other transport accidents, although the number of casualties per WVA was ca. 100 times lower compared to other transport accidents. Moose was the primary contributor, responsible for 66.7% of fatalities and 47.2% of injuries, despite much lower species abundance compared to roe deer, which is the main species involved in WVAs without human casualties. Temporal patterns highlighted seasonal, daily, and hourly variations, with the majority of casualties occurring during dusk or dawn in May and September, on weekends, and between 20:00 and 22:00. Spatially, main roads with high traffic density exhibited the highest casualties per unit length. Most casualties occurred after hitting an animal directly with cars and motorcycles being most vulnerable vehicles. The effectiveness of WVA prevention measures was inconclusive: 9.5% of fatalities and 1.4% of injuries were registered in the area of the warning sign, and 10.4% of all casualties occurred on fenced road segments. These findings suggest the need for a critical evaluation of the current prevention strategies in reducing human casualties associated with WVAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrius Kučas
- Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Via Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy;
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bíl M, Andrášik R, Bílová M. Wildlife-vehicle collisions: The disproportionate risk of injury faced by motorcyclists. Injury 2024; 55:111301. [PMID: 38158319 DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2023.111301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
We applied a generalized linear mixed-effects model to determine the factors leading to injuries from wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs). We used the Police database representing WVCs which took place on the Czech road network between 2009 and 2022. The majority of WVCs in Czechia are with roe deer, followed by wild boar, i.e., both relatively small ungulates. Less than 2 % of these encounters ends with an injury to the motor vehicle occupants. We found that the probability of sustaining injury was systematically higher for motorcyclists than for car occupants. The odds of sustaining an injury during WVC were roughly 1600 times higher for motorcyclists than for car occupants. When applying an evading manoeuvre, the odds of sustaining an injury were approximately 68 times higher for car occupants while only 2.3 times higher for motorcyclists compared to a direct hit to an animal. The lack of helmets (for motorcyclists) and missing seat belts (for car occupants) were additional factors which made the outcomes worse for WVCs. While the acceptance of a direct hit (preceded by braking) seems to be a reasonable strategy for car drivers, WVC awareness (including maintaining a lower speed during critical times and places) should be raised among motorcyclists as both manoeuvres are almost comparably dangerous for them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michal Bíl
- CDV - Transport Research Centre, Líšeňská 33a, 636 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Richard Andrášik
- CDV - Transport Research Centre, Líšeňská 33a, 636 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Bílová
- CDV - Transport Research Centre, Líšeňská 33a, 636 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Balčiauskas L, Stratford J, Kučas A, Balčiauskienė L. Lockdown's Silver Lining? Different Levels of Roadkill during the COVID-19 Times in Lithuania. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2918. [PMID: 37760319 PMCID: PMC10525093 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on human and vehicular mobility on the number of roadkills of wild mammals, and roe deer in particular, was assessed in Lithuania. We statistically analyzed the distribution of all mammals and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) as the most abundant species annually from 2002 to 2022 and monthly from 2020 to 2021, including during the two restriction periods. Notably, there was a marked decrease in roadkill incidents on main, national and regional roads, particularly in April-May 2020 (the beginning of lockdown period I) and November-December 2020 (the beginning of lockdown period II), 5.1-20.8% and 33.6-54.4%, respectively. During these months, collisions with mammals on the A14 main road were reduced by 75-90%. However, there was a significant increase in the number of roadkills in urban areas, resulting in the total number of mammal-vehicle and roe deer-vehicle collisions in 2020 and 2021 being higher than expected based on long-term trends. However, after restrictions were eased, collision numbers with wildlife on the main, national and regional roads increased again and became higher than expected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linas Balčiauskas
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania (L.B.)
| | - Jos Stratford
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania (L.B.)
| | - Andrius Kučas
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Via Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Borza S, Godó L, Valkó O, Végvári Z, Deák B. Better safe than sorry - Understanding the attitude and habits of drivers can help mitigating animal-vehicle collisions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 339:117917. [PMID: 37062092 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The rapidly growing global road networks put serious pressures on terrestrial ecosystems and increase the number and severity of human-wildlife conflicts, which in most cases manifest in animal-vehicle collisions (AVCs). AVCs pose serious problems both for biodiversity conservation and traffic safety: each year, millions of vertebrates are roadkilled globally and the related economic damage is also substantial. For a comprehensive understanding of factors influencing AVC it is essential to explore the human factor, that is, the habits and attitude of drivers; however, to date, comprehensive surveys are lacking on this topic. Here we addressed this knowledge gap and surveyed the habits of drivers and their experience and attitude towards AVCs by a comprehensive questionnaire covering a large geographical area and involving a large number of respondents (1942 completed questionnaires). We aimed to reveal how driving habits affect the chance of AVC, and explored the attitude of the drivers regarding AVC. We found that the number of lifetime AVC cases was higher for male drivers, for those who drove longer distances per year, had more driven years, used country roads or drove large vehicles. Our results showed that almost half of the drivers surveyed had experienced at least one AVC in their lifetime. Drivers' attitudes towards the importance of nature conservation or traffic safety in the aspect of AVC, and fear of collision showed a significant correlation with experienced AVC cases. Drivers' opinions indicated that the most trusted and desired AVC prevention measures were physical objects such as fences and wildlife crossings. Our research provides guidelines for developing targeted initiatives in the future to increase awareness about the significance of AVC and target those drivers who are most vulnerable to AVC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sándor Borza
- Lendület Seed Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary; Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary; Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Laura Godó
- Lendület Seed Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Valkó
- Lendület Seed Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary.
| | - Zsolt Végvári
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary; Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Balázs Deák
- Lendület Seed Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Balčiauskas L, Stratford J, Kučas A, Balčiauskienė L. Factors Affecting Roadkills of Semi-Aquatic Mammals. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11050748. [PMID: 35625476 PMCID: PMC9138509 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We previously showed that registration efforts and traffic intensity explain 90% of variation in mammal roadkill numbers, 70% of variation in the numbers of recorded species and 40% of diversity variation. Here we analyze semiaquatic mammal roadkill in Lithuania in 2002–2021, relating these to the monitoring effort. From 39,936 analyzed roadkill, the European beaver (Castor fiber) was registered 60 times, American mink (Neovison vison) 26 times, otter (Lutra lutra) 22 times and muskrat (Ondatra zibethica) 3 times. The average roadkill indexes were 0.000065, 0.00076, 0.00061 and 0.00010 ind./km/day, and the extrapolated annual roadkill for the country was 44–357, 36–456, 49–464 and 89–144 individuals, respectively. Beaver roadkill numbers correlated with the registration effort and traffic intensity, otter roadkill with registration effort only and mink with hunting bag (number of hunted individuals per year). Roadkill was not always related to proximity to water, with 38–54% of roadkill occurring over 200 m from the nearest water source. With American mink and muskrat being invasive species in the EU and otter protected in many countries, it is valuable to enhance the registrations of their roadkill (using targeted efforts by drivers, hunters or other citizen scientists) to obtain the extrapolated amount of roadkill and to use this knowledge in species management.
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
This article describes the issue of the influences of the time factor and wildlife populations on road animal–vehicle crashes. The article presents problems associated with animal–vehicle crashes in Poland. They are the subject of many court disputes. For the purposes of the study, data on animal–vehicle road crashes were obtained from the SEWiK database, as well as data on the numbers of animals in hunting districts from 2016–2020. The relationship between the number of road crashes and time was analysed, and the relationships between the numbers of road crashes and the animal populations, as well as the locations, types, and categories of the hunting districts, were analysed as well. The factors related to changes in the wildlife populations, road crashes in previous years, and the lengths of the road networks were also analysed. The research shows no relationship between the abundance of a particular species and the number of road crashes. Instead, there is a correlation between the number of crashes in previous years and the road network length.
Collapse
|
8
|
Balčiauskas L, Stratford J, Balčiauskienė L, Kučas A. Roadkills as a Method to Monitor Raccoon Dog Populations. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:3147. [PMID: 34827879 PMCID: PMC8614573 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is one of the most frequently killed species on Lithuanian roads. As an invasive species, up-to-date knowledge of population size, trends and spatial distribution is critically important both for species assessment and for the planning of control measures. In Lithuania, however, raccoon dog surveys have not been carried out since 1997. We investigated, therefore, whether roadkill counts on predefined routes could be used as a proxy for a survey. Our dataset includes survey numbers for the period 1956-1997, hunting bag sizes for 1965-2020 (including the spatial distribution of the hunting bag in 2018-2020) and roadkill data relating to 1551 individuals between 2002-2020. At the most local scale, that of the hunting areas of hunting clubs, correlations between the numbers of hunted and roadkilled individuals were negative and insignificant or absent. At the country scale, however, we found significant correlation both between the numbers surveyed and hunted in 1965-1997 (r = 0.88), and between those hunted and the number of roadkills in 2002-2020 (r = 0.56-0.69). Therefore, we consider that roadkill counts on predefined and stable routes may be used as a proxy for a survey at the country scale. Practical implementation of the method is proposed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linas Balčiauskas
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania; (J.S.); (L.B.); (A.K.)
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
Wildlife–vehicle collisions, as well as environmental factors that affect collisions and mitigation measures, are usually modelled and analysed in the vicinity of or within roads, while habitat attractiveness to wildlife along with risk to drivers remain mostly underestimated. The main goal of this study was the identification, characterisation, and ranking of mammalian habitats in Lithuania in relation to 2002–2017 roadkill data. We identified habitat patches as areas (varying from 1 to 1488 square kilometres) isolated by neighbouring roads characterised by at least one wildlife–vehicle collision hotspot. We ranked all identified habitats on the basis of land cover, the presence of an ecological corridor, a mammalian pathway, and roadkill hotspot data. A ranking scenario describing both habitat attractiveness to wildlife and the risk to drivers was defined and applied. Ranks for each habitat were calculated using multiple criteria spatial decision support techniques. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify the relationship between habitat ranks, species richness, and land cover classes. Strong relationships were identified and are discussed between the habitat patch ranks in five (out of 28) land cover classes and in eight (out of 28) species (97% of all mammal road kills). We conclude that, along with conventional roadkill hotspot identification, roadkill-based habitat identification and characterisation as well as species richness analysis should be used in road safety infrastructure planning.
Collapse
|
10
|
Bíl M, Kušta T, Andrášik R, Cícha V, Brodská H, Ježek M, Keken Z. No clear effect of odour repellents on roe deer behaviour in the vicinity of roads. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michal Bíl
- M. Bíl ✉ , R. Andrášik and V. Cícha, CDV – Transport Research Centre, Líšeňská 33a, Cz-636 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Kušta
- T. Kušta, H. Brodská and M. Ježek, Czech Univ. of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Richard Andrášik
- M. Bíl ✉ , R. Andrášik and V. Cícha, CDV – Transport Research Centre, Líšeňská 33a, Cz-636 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Cícha
- M. Bíl ✉ , R. Andrášik and V. Cícha, CDV – Transport Research Centre, Líšeňská 33a, Cz-636 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Brodská
- T. Kušta, H. Brodská and M. Ježek, Czech Univ. of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Ježek
- T. Kušta, H. Brodská and M. Ježek, Czech Univ. of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Keken
- Z. Keken, Czech Univ. of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Moose Management Strategies under Changing Legal and Institutional Frameworks. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12208482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Moose (Alces alces) management strategies in Lithuania, East Europe, were analyzed. The study was intended to show the (un)sustainability of the current management approach in relation to changes in hunting rules, hunting organization and development of the responsible administrative bodies. Moose population and bag dynamics were analyzed using I index in connected scatterplots and compound annual growth rates (CAGR). In 1962–2020, the CAGR of the moose population was 3.84%, resulting in a population size increase of nearly 10 times. The seesaw principle in moose management was confirmed, showing three periods of population decrease (1973–1977, 1989–1995, 2000–2005), and two periods of hunting bag decrease (1976–1978 and 1990–1993). All decline phases were related to legal and administrative issues in the country. Since 2006, population growth has not been controlled. Lithuania has no long-term strategy of the moose population management at any administrative level. The current management approach is not sustainable, as it has not ensured long-term stability of the moose population. The current continuous growth of population, followed by only a moderate increase in the hunting bag, is related to the possibility for owners to adopt long-term planning of the hunting plot units.
Collapse
|