Wild ungulates are expanding in range and number worldwide leading to an urgent need to manage their populations to minimize conflicts and promote coexistence with humans. In the metropolitan area of Barcelona (MAB), wild boar is the main wildlife species causing a nuisance, from traffic accidents to health risks. Selective harvesting of specific sex and age classes and reducing anthropogenic food resources would be the most efficient approach to dealing with overpopulation. Nonetheless, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the age and sex selectivity of the capture methods currently applied in the MAB for wild boar population control. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the performance and age and sex bias of different hunting and capture methods and the seasonal patterns in their performance (number of captured individuals per event). From February 2014 to August 2022, 1454 wild boars were captured in the MAB using drop net, teleanaesthesia, cage traps, night stalks, and drive hunting. We applied generalized linear models (GLM) to compare the performance of these methods for the total number of wild boars, the wild boars belonging to each age category (i.e., adult, yearling, and juvenile), and for each season. The studied capture methods showed age-class bias and sex bias in adults (>2 years). Drive hunting and drop net removed mainly adult females and yearlings (1-2 years), with drive hunting having the highest performance for adult males. Instead, cage traps and drop net were the best methods to capture juveniles (<1 year). Overall, global performance was higher in summer, decreasingly followed by autumn and spring, winter being the worst performing season. Wildlife managers and researchers should consider the different performance and sex and age bias of each hunting and capture method, as well as the associated public cost, to improve efficiency and achieve the best results in wild boar population management.

Objetivo: Verificar la incidencia de cesáreas y parto vaginal en mujeres tratadas en un hospital público en la ciudad de Pedro Juan Caballero (Paraguay) y conocer las indicaciones más frecuentes de operaciones cesáreas. Material y métodos: El estudio fue descriptivo, retrospectivo y documental, a partir de las informaciones de prontuarios. El lugar de recolección de los datos fue el Hospital Regional de Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay. La población escogida para el estudio se constituyó de gestantes a partir de 14 años, en el periodo de junio de 2018 a junio de 2019, totalizando 2.087 prontuarios. Fueron analizados 2087 prontuarios, de los cuales se seleccionaron 200 partos por cesárea 200 prontuarios de partos por cesáreas realizados en este periodo (26,28% del total). Resultados: Fueron registrados 761 cesáreas, que corresponden al 36,28% de los partos y 1326 partos vaginales. La operación cesárea fue más prevalente entre mujeres entre 24-27 años de edad, representando el 24% del total. Entre las indicaciones de la operación cesárea, se observó que 16,5% fueron por una cesárea anterior, 11% por preeclampsia, 10,5% desprendimiento de placenta, 10% por bradicardia fetal y 8,5% por presentación podálica, todas estas indicaciones representaron 56% del total de los partos por cesárea evaluados. Conclusión: El índice de partos por cesárea fue elevado en el Hospital investigado (36,28%), cuando la OMS establece un índice deseado de hasta 15%. Las indicaciones más frecuentes encontradas en este estudio fueran Cesárea anterior, preeclampsia , desprendimiento de placenta y bradicardia fetal.

The ban of lead shot for hunting over wetlands at national and continental scales is essential to reduce the risk of lead poisoning in waterbirds, but the high persistence of lead shot in wetland sediments highlights the need for exploring additional mitigation measures. Grit supplementation has been proposed as a method to reduce the probability of lead shot ingestion by waterbirds, that would add to the regulatory actions. Here we hypothesize that (1) the lead shot ban would reduce lead shot ingestion and (2) grit supplementation would reduce overall shot ingestion (lead+steel) in waterfowl. To test this, waterbirds harvested by hunters during the pre-ban (seasons 1991/1992- 1995/1996, n=379), post-ban (seasons 2007/2008 to 2008/2009, n=254), and post-ban plus grit supplementation (seasons 2009/2010 to 2014/2015, n=1378) periods were monitored in the Ebro delta (Spain). Grit supplementation was performed in collaboration with local hunters to achieve a grit particle:lead shot pellet proportion above 2:1. Lead shot ingestion prevalence declined by 29.1-77.0% in the five granivorous species of ducks with the highest prevalence of lead shot ingestion before the ban (i.e. Northern pintail, common pochard, mallard, Northern shoveler and common teal). Shot pellet ingestion (lead+steel) decreased by 33.8% and 53.4% during the grit supplementation period in the Northern pintail and common pochard, respectively. We highlight the need for monitoring the lead shot ban compliance and its effectiveness to reduce lead poisoning in waterbirds because other mitigation actions, such as grit supplementation, may be necessary in the short to medium-term before lead shot pellets disappear from wetlands or become unavailable for birds.

Urbanisation is reshaping ecosystems and increasing human–wildlife interactions. Wild boar (Sus scrofa), a highly adaptable species, is increasingly common in European cities, where it exploits natural and anthropogenic resources, often leading to conflict. Predicting when and where wild boars enter urban areas remains challenging, particularly using scalable tools such as remote sensing. Here, we show that temporal and spatial drivers of urban presence are decoupled in Barcelona over a 14-year period. Seasonal vegetation dynamics influenced the timing of urban incursions, with peaks in spring and late summer associated with changes in vegetation moisture and likely reinforced by increased energetic demands during reproduction and early lactation. However, remotely sensed vegetation indices captured these dynamics only partially, limiting their predictive power when used alone. Spatial variation in urban green area use was primarily explained by landscape structure, with proximity to streams and habitat fragmentation contributing similarly. Green areas near natural corridors were concentrated higher and had more variable presence, while heterogeneous landscapes likely facilitated repeated use by increasing access to foraging and refuge. Integrating remote sensing with landscape metrics can improve the anticipation and management of human–wildlife conflicts.