If you go down to the woods today
...you may just meet a 20-stone wild boar like THIS
LAID out on the forest floor, with its thick coat and sharp tusks, it looks like a big-game hunter’s trophy.
Yet this gigantic wild boar was not bagged on an overseas safari, but shot in rural Scotland.
In recent years, the number of boar on the loose in the Scottish countryside has soared.
Now Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is organising a meeting in Alyth, Perthshire, next month to allow the public to discuss their concerns about the animals – and decide if they need to be culled.
But some farmers and gamekeepers have already taken steps to control boar numbers. Gamekeeper Greg Sinclair published this picture of a shot boar online, writing: ‘Seemingly another boar has been shot outside Alyth that dwarfs this beast! Wild boar in Scotland taking a hold!’
There are so many wild boar in Scotland that the Scottish Government has ordered a special report on how best to tackle the growing problem.
Locals are being asked to report sightings to SNH in a bid to establish how many there are.
SNH said up to 40 boar live on Alyth Hill, an area popular with dog walkers about a mile from the town centre.
Local farmers and estate workers claim to have shot at least two dozen over the past ten years.
Boar are classified under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1974 and are able to run at 30mph and scramble over a six-foot fence.
The public have been warned to keep a safe distance, especially in spring when the sows have piglets.
Local pig farmer David Brough, 51, is worried the wild boar could spread infection to his livestock.
He said: ‘We can’t have these animals roaming around. Pigs can succumb to disease very quickly. There was also a field of seed potatoes that was dug up, causing considerable expense. They’re a danger to the public; someone is going to get hurt. I have seen half a dozen big ones. I would reckon they were more than 20 stones and, by God, they can run. I couldn’t outrun them and I’m reasonably fit.
‘They wouldn’t come after you unless they were protecting their young or if you scared them. But I know of one person whose dog was attacked. They have to be eliminated.’
Wild boar became extinct in Britain 700 years ago. There are now thought to be around 1,000 in Scotland, due to illegal releases and escapes. Thousands more live in England and Wales.
Their habit of rooting up soil by foraging has been praised by some conservationists. Their meat is also considered a delicacy.
But in areas where numbers are high, such as Dumfries and Galloway, incidences of them digging up farmland have led to boar being labelled a menace.
Gavin Clark, SNH’s Tayside and Grampian operations manager, said: ‘If you do see a wild boar, they’re likely to run away from you. If they don’t, walk away slowly – don’t feed them and keep your dog on a lead.
‘We, along with Perth and Kinross Council, are asking people in the Alyth area to report any sightings of feral pigs which have been released or escaped from private collections.
‘There have been some sightings on Alyth Hill, and there may be between 20 and 40 animals, but information is limited. The Council and SNH want to learn more about their numbers and movements.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We are working closely with SNH to gather information on the size and location of, and management options for, wild boar or feral pig populations in Scotland.
‘We look forward to receiving their final report imminently and will give its findings careful consideration.’