A multi-institution collaborative study conducted by researchers from Singapore, Australia, and the United States tracked the movement of wild pigs in Singapore, in particular the speed and geographical distribution of their dispersal. Hunting and urbanization wiped wild pigs from mainland Singapore almost four decades ago. Native to Singapore’s ecosystems, wild pigs once coexisted with natural predators such as tigers and leopards, which helped regulate their population. A hyperabundance of wild pigs may cause cascading ecological consequences including erosion, overgrazing, and vegetation damage. “The ability of wild pigs to disperse across a cityscape exceeded our predictions,” the authors say.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 05, 2023 07:06 UTC