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Why does that difference matter? Edit: I mean: they have been multiplying like mad over the past 20 years. Why shouldn't we allow hunters to shoot them in some

by tpmx 7y ago

Why does that difference matter? Edit: I mean: they have been multiplying like mad over the past 20 years. Why shouldn't we allow hunters to shoot them in some organizer manner to keep the population at some constant healthy size, like we do with the moose population? And why shouldn't that meat be used to feed people?

teddyh 7y ago
The difference is that a non-invasive species is not usually a problem for the local environment. There is no reason to believe that wild boar suddenly would be multiplying massively in their native environment, since the wild boars should have natural predators and environmental factors keeping the population limited. If those are missing, the natural (and often relatively easy, compared to the alternatives) response would be to re-intruduce those natural predators and/or environments. In short, there is probably not that much to worry about wild boars in their natural environment. To Americans, though, who are used to thinking about wild boars as a unadultered horrifying menace (which they are where they live), describing Sweden as “the same” is misleading at best.
- tpmx 7y ago
  But they clearly are multiplying massively. I can quote any number of Swedish language sources that back up that statement, but that wouldn't be of general interest to the HN community. I'll happily concede that we disagree on semantics.
  - teddyh 7y ago
    > But they clearly are multiplying massively. In which case, as I explained, there is probably a comparatively easy solution involving reinforcing the naturally preexisting factors which usually limit the population growth. In any case, there is no reasonable way in which the situation of wild boars in America and Sweden could be described as “the same”. They are fundamentally wildly different.
    - tpmx 7y ago
      Sounds like a fascinating research topic. Let us know when you're done!
- stubish 7y ago
  The natural predator for larger animals is often humans. We stop hunting them and the numbers grow until the food supply limits are hit. This often affects other creatures too, who may also rely on the same food.

by tpmx 7y ago

teddyh 7y ago

The difference is that a non-invasive species is not usually a problem for the local environment. There is no reason to believe that wild boar suddenly would be multiplying massively in their native environment, since the wild boars should have natural predators and environmental factors keeping the population limited. If those are missing, the natural (and often relatively easy, compared to the alternatives) response would be to re-intruduce those natural predators and/or environments. In short, there is probably not that much to worry about wild boars in their natural environment. To Americans, though, who are used to thinking about wild boars as a unadultered horrifying menace (which they are where they live), describing Sweden as “the same” is misleading at best.

tpmx 7y ago
But they clearly are multiplying massively. I can quote any number of Swedish language sources that back up that statement, but that wouldn't be of general interest to the HN community. I'll happily concede that we disagree on semantics.
- teddyh 7y ago
  > But they clearly are multiplying massively. In which case, as I explained, there is probably a comparatively easy solution involving reinforcing the naturally preexisting factors which usually limit the population growth. In any case, there is no reasonable way in which the situation of wild boars in America and Sweden could be described as “the same”. They are fundamentally wildly different.
  - tpmx 7y ago
    Sounds like a fascinating research topic. Let us know when you're done!
stubish 7y ago
The natural predator for larger animals is often humans. We stop hunting them and the numbers grow until the food supply limits are hit. This often affects other creatures too, who may also rely on the same food.