There's further evidence the number of feral wild boar in England is on the rise, with all the risk that brings for the UK's domestic pig population, the National Pig Association has said.
The results of the latest survey show there now an estimated 1,562 wild boar roaming Gloucestershire and Herefordshire's Forest of Dean, equating to about 21 per sq.km.
This represents more than a 50 per cent increase on the 2015 estimate of 1,018.
In the central part of the forest, an area of nearly 43sq.km, estimates of boar numbers increased by 48 per cent, from 17.4/sq.km in 2015 to 25.8/sq.km this year.
The authors of a Forestry Commission report on the survey describe the increase as 'disappointing'.
It occurred despite an organized cull of 422 wild boar in the forest, slightly below the target of 460 estimated to be sufficient to contain population increase.
Modelling suggests a further cull of 712 animals is now required to stabilise the population.
The NPA says the failure to control feral wild boar, which are also present on the public forest estate in Kent and Sussex, is "storing up potential problems" for the pig industry.
'Genuine' threat to commercial pigs
But NPA's Zoe Davies believes the rise in feral wild boar should be viewed as a genuine threat and wants to see more action from Defra.
She said: "The ever-expanding feral wild boar population in the Forest of Dean poses a significant threat to the health of commercial pigs.
"Wild boar can and do gain access to pig farms, where they steal food and mate with sows, therefore the potential for disease spread is considerable.
"In the event of a notifiable disease outbreak, this risks the UK pig industry losing its export market – something that would be impossible to regain with such high numbers.
"We want to see a more coordinated and effective approach to management of wild boar populations – the latest census figures only highlight the urgency of that.
"NPA believes it is vital that Defra pressures the Forestry Commission to allocate the appropriate resources, including financial support, to the proper management of these animals."
NPA is also calling for Defra to review the Dangerous Wild Animals Act to include wild boar crosses and to come up with properly defined criteria for a licence for farmed wild boar, such as fencing requirements.
