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Maps Show Where Wild Boar Could Thrive and Spread on Jeju Island

Wild boar in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka
Research: Ecology · Conservation: Management

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) have rapidly expanded their range on Jeju Island, South Korea, raising ecological and agricultural concerns. Researchers mapped where habitat may be suitable for the invasive animals and which areas of the island may be connected.

Using 94 recorded wild-boar locations and environmental data, the researchers estimated habitat suitability across the island. The model classified 14.5% of Jeju as highly suitable and another 21.6% as suitable—around 36% in total. These are estimates of potential habitat, not counts of boar or confirmation that the animals occupy every mapped area.

Landscape features shape the map

Distance from agricultural land was among the most influential factors in the model. Distance from built-up areas and water, as well as elevation, also helped distinguish areas with different levels of predicted suitability.

The researchers identified six core areas of potentially suitable habitat linked by eight possible corridors. These mapped connections indicate where the landscape may allow movement between habitat areas; they are not routes confirmed by tracking individual animals. Hallasan and Geumakseo-gil were especially important to overall connectivity in the analysis.

Mapping areas to monitor

Knowing where wild boar may find suitable habitat and which areas may be connected can help managers target monitoring, early detection and measures to limit further expansion. The maps offer a starting point for addressing the ecological and agricultural concerns associated with the invasive population on Jeju.

Sources and image credit

  1. Modeling the Invasion: Habitat Suitability and Landscape Connectivity of Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) on Jeju Island, South KoreaPrimærstudien; først publisert 30. september 2026.
  2. Full text: Modeling the Invasion, Ecology and Evolution (2026)Open-access copy of the primary research article.

Image: Wild boar in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka, 9 June 2019. Photo: Sathsara Panchali / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Representative image, not an animal from Jeju Island. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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