Traffic with wild boars: How they can be reduced – Professor Vlachos explains

The need targeted interventions in the road network and an integrated plan to reduce the wild boar populationpoints out the professor of Forestry and Natural Environment of AUTH, Christos Vlachosin order to limit the possibilities traffic accidentslike what happened, last night, at the 62nd km of the Thessaloniki – Neo Petritsiou highway, in Kilkis.

“A holistic approach to the problem is required. It is a European, a global problem. There will also be fatal accidents and the point is to reduce the chances of these collisions“, Mr. Vlachos, whose research subjects include the sustainable harvesting of game species, the control of unwanted species and the breeding and release of game species, told APE-MBE.

“It should have become a complete one census study of the density and population status of the wild boar in Greeceto record the critical areas, to look at interbreeding with the domestic pig, to clear out, to kill, to remove too many phenotypically divergent from the wild boar and to have a continuous monitoring of their population status“, he said.

“Problems also in olive crops in Halkidiki”

The AUTH professor clarified that the problem in Greece, as in most countries, is not limited to certain areas, but has to do with the development of the road network and human intervention with road construction in forest ecosystems. “There is trouble everywhere. In Halkidiki, they are currently destroying by chewing the pipes that irrigate olive trees“, write down.

Regarding population control methods and the practices followed internationally, he explained that there are many types of interventions. “The Australians monitor them with helicopters and kill them, others apply sterilization with chemicals, electrophoresis on the crops, etc.“, write down.

“Fences at bends where accidents are common”

For Greece, Mr. Vlachos expressed the opinion that “hunting can be the basis for population control, […] and it is necessary to delimit in time when the interventions will be carried out with the supervision of populations».

“It is also critical to reduce breeding females, whose reproductive capacity is not easily controlled. They need constant interventions, this is what all European countries do”, he noted, adding that in addition to traffic accidents, the problems in the agricultural sector are growing, as from wild boars looking for food, “harvests are destroyed and lost and people in the countryside abandon their crops».

A comprehensive approach to the problem, according to the professor, as a process it takes at least 2-3 years and the cooperation of the state, agencies and organizations.

Regarding the possibilities of preventing traffic accidents, he emphasized:In principle, there must be signs in protected areas, such as in Volvi, for the possible passage of wild boars, but drivers must also comply when these signs are in place to reduce speed so that they have room to react. In addition, on some repeated sections with bends – not on Egnatia Odos – in places where accidents have often been recorded, fences should be built on these bends, so that the herd is led to a point where the driver will have visibility and will be able to react».

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