In March the researchers and staff of the Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Turin, with the technical-scientific and logistical support of the park rangers, have positioned in the territory of the Natural Park of the Capanne di Marcarolo the 40 photo-traps foreseen by the research project on the use of REM method (Random Encounter Model) for estimating the abundance and density of the wild boar population in an area affected by African Swine Fever (Psa).
The goal, explained by the Protected Areas of the Piedmontese Apennines, “is that of estimate the density of wild boars on a monthly basis in order to be able to evaluate the demographic trend over time and, with a sufficient number of observations, also estimate for the different age groups so as to be able to evaluate also the structure of the present population.
The photo traps were placed on the territory on the basis of the rough indication of a QGis cartographic processing software and the evaluation of the park rangers, so that they can represent all types of land cover in the Protected Area ". The latest data from the Psa monitoring speak of 80 positive carcasses, the last six discoveries between the territories of Alessandria and Genoa (Newspaper 7).