Overpopulation of some wild animals is a problem across Europe, such as the wild boar, deer, or gray squirrel, which came to the continent in the 19th century and is increasingly displacing native species. All this not only increases the risk of epidemics, but also leads to road accidents and environmental damage in forests and agricultural areas. Countries that used to regulate their populations through hunting are now forced to look for new, more humane and sustainable methods.
At the conference to be held in Italy on the subject, they will also discuss the proposal that will try to reduce the problem of overpopulation of wild animals by using targeted contraception. “This would be a more humane and less conflictive solution, unlike previous hunting practices. The advantage of this is that it will not only prevent population growth, but also cause less conflict between humans and animals.” guardian Giovanna Massi is a researcher at the University of York.
In the past, the most common method of controlling wild boar populations was to kill the animals. Meanwhile, the expert pointed out that the number of fishermen decreased directly with the increase in fishing costs and the tightening of regulations requiring obtaining permits. He pointed out that “excessive reproduction is a consequence of this, which can be reduced later by reducing fertility.” They are now working in collaboration with other researchers to develop agents that only affect a particular species.
