Boar bites off man’s fingertip

A DOG walker has had part of a finger bitten off by a boar in the Forest of Dean.

The male wild boar attacked Clive Lilley, 51, when he crossed its path in woodland near his home at Viney Hill, near Lydney, Gloucestershire, just before dawn last Wednesday. Mr Lilley said the boar bit off the underside of his finger but left the nail intact.

“I walk my dogs in the woods every day and I have seen boar hundreds of times but never had any trouble with them before,” he said. “This one showed no interest in my dog, only me.”

About 1,200 boar roam the forest and in recent years have become more tolerant of human interest. A Forestry Commission spokesman said they were aware of the incident. He added: “We would remind woodland users that feral wild boar can be unpredictable. Keep a safe distance from them.”