ECO-BIOLOGICAL STUDY OF WILD BOAR (SUS SCROFA CRISTATUS) IN ISLAMABAD AREA, PAKISTAN

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the biology of wild boar (Sus scrofa cristatus) in the Department of Forestry, Range Management and Wildlife, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan during the year 2009 and 2010. For this purpose, animals in Islamabad area were flushed out with the help of dogs and men for observation and capturing. Maximum number of animals were captured in January (35) and August (33) in the year 2009 and in March (37) and July (31) in 2010. The gut contents of autopsied animals were, more or less, same in all animals as the animals contained more cooked meat in their gut captured near populated areas of Islamabad while the animals captured from the natural areas contained more bark of trees and wild grasses. Litter size of captured females varied from 5-10/gestation and tusk size in males ranged from 5-11 cm. July and November were the active breeding months as autopsied animals contained more non-pregnant to pregnant female ratio i.e. 1:2.20 and 1:2.25, respectively. The reason for increase in population of wild boar is attributed not only to high litter size but also to availability of food, water and natural habitat in the study area.