Comparing red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) and wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) dispersal patterns in southern Belgium

Abstract

This study analyses the natal dispersal of red deer and wild boar in order to compare their dispersal capabilities in southern Belgium and to evaluate the relevance of management unit areas (MUA) designed for their monitoring. Dispersal was studied thanks to a mark-recovery method based on 111 red deer fawns and 1,613 piglets. The recovery rate of ear-tagged animals was 68 and 40 %, respectively. In both species, sub-adult males moved on longer distances ( $$ \mathop{x}\limits^{-} $$ red deer = 4.82+/−4.17 km and $$ \mathop{x}\limits^{-} $$ wild boar = 4.90+/−5.65 km) than females and juveniles $$ \mathop{x}\limits^{-} $$ (red deer = 1.84+/−1.46 km and $$ \mathop{x}\limits^{-} $$ wild boar = 2.49+/−3.74 km). Taking into account the age and sex categories, we found no difference between species in dispersal mean distance. But we observed higher maximal dispersal distances in wild boar compared to red deer. The natal home range mean sizes were 5.29 km2 (+/−4.87) for red deer and 6.23 km2 (+/−4.60) for wild boar. Red deer and wild boar showed similar dispersal rates according to age and sex category: 53 and 42 % in sub-adult males and 14 and 16 % in females and juveniles. Our results confirmed the higher proportion of philopatry in females and juveniles of both species compared to sub-adult males more likely to disperse. Wild boar of any sex or age seemed to be less sensitive than red deer to infrastructure (road, rail, river) network on which the management unit area limits are currently based.