Estonian hunters deploy drones to keep African swine fever from farms
Hunters in Estonia are using drones to detect wild boar near pig farms in a new effort to curb the spread of African swine fever (ASF) back to domestic herds.
One of five surveillance drones purchased by the Climate Ministry has been assigned to hunters in Rapla County, where veteran hunter Ergo Viil recently learned to operate the unmanned aircraft after more than 40 years in the field.
He said the drone is a valuable tool for locating wild boar and planning hunting efforts.
"Flying over fields, you can clearly see where wild boar have been, identify the best hunting spots and where to place tree stands for an evening hunt," Viil explained.
Equipped with thermal imaging and zoom cameras, he added the drones can detect animals and help identify the species from the air.
During a flight near Kuusiku on Thursday evening, the drone found signs of wild boar activity but no animals. It did, however, spot numerous deer feeding in grain fields.
No new domestic ASF cases this year
No domestic pigs in Estonia have contracted African swine fever this year, although more than 100 ASF-infected wild boar have been found in the wild.
Gerlin Järvela, head of animal health at the Agriculture and Food Board (PTA), said authorities have stepped up biosecurity measures this year while expanding cooperation with hunters.
Pig farmers can now even request drone flights around their facilities.
"We have to keep wild boar away from pig farms," Järvela said. "If they remain around the farms, the risk to domestic pigs is extremely high."
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Editor: Valner Väino, Aili Vahtla
