A new study has revealed that human activities have caused a surge in the numbers of wild pigs and macaque monkeys in Southeast Asia, which could have serious implications for the environment and public health.
Human activities create ideal conditions for wildlife pests
TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, was led by researchers from The University of Queensland, who analysed species population data from across the region, some of it collected with a network of cameras, as per Phys.org.
They found that human activities, such as logging and establishing palm oil farms, have created ideal breeding conditions for wild pigs and macaque monkeys, which are taking over Southeast Asia's disturbed forests.
The researchers reported that wild boar and macaque numbers were 400,% higher in forests near the plantations than in untouched environments.
They explained that these animals take full advantage of the farmland, raiding crops and thriving on calorie-rich foods
They also pointed out that these wildlife pests are not evenly distributed across the region, but tend to concentrate in areas where human disturbance is high and natural predators are low.
For example, they found that macaques were more abundant in Indonesia and Malaysia than in Thailand and Vietnam, while wild pigs were more abundant in Thailand and Vietnam than in Indonesia and Malaysia.
The researchers also highlighted the significant human health risks in the rising pig and macaque populations, as per ScienceDaily.
They said that mammals in human-modified ecosystems often host high pathogen loads and pose serious zoonotic disease risks, as shown by the wildlife origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They noted that both pigs and macaques are recognized as carriers of diseases that can be transmitted to people and they're the most common species in a region considered to be the global zoonotic disease hotspot.
One of the collaborators, a professor from the University of East Anglia (UK), said that densely settled rural areas in Southeast Asia may be a source of future human epidemics.
He cited examples of viral, bacterial, rickettsial, helminth, and protozoan diseases that have been associated with rodents, pigs, and macaques in Southeast Asia.
Some of these diseases include leptospirosis, Japanese encephalitis, Nipah virus infection, plague, scrub typhus, murine typhus, salmonellosis, brucellosis, tuberculosis, toxoplasmosis, and trichinellosis.
The researchers also warned that the population explosions could have negative impacts on native flora and fauna in the affected regions.
A PhD candidate from the University of East Anglia and Southern University of Science and Technology (China) said that both pigs and macaques trigger negative cascading impacts in these pristine ecosystems.
He said that they kill the seeds and seedlings of native plants and eat bird and reptile eggs, and further said that the Malaysian pigs alone were found to reduce rainforest tree regeneration by 62%.
He also mentioned that these animals can compete with or displace other native wildlife species, such as small carnivores, primates, rodents, and birds.
Effective management strategies are needed
The researchers called for more effective management of wildlife pests in Southeast Asia, such as culling, fencing, sterilization, or relocation.
They also urged for more research on the ecological and epidemiological consequences of wildlife population explosions in human-modified landscapes.
These experts suggested that an integrated approach that combines ecological knowledge, socio-economic factors, cultural preferences, and stakeholder participation is needed to develop sustainable solutions.
The importance of preserving natural habitats and restoring degraded forests to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services has also been greatly emphasized.
They concluded that addressing the problem of wildlife pests is not only crucial for protecting crops and livestock but also for safeguarding human health and conserving nature.
