New Game Census Charts Return of Wild Boar

Wild boars are back in this country and The Game Conservancy Trust is including the species in its National Gamebag Census, which monitors the rise and fall of game and other wildlife species through the records kept by gamekeepers.

The number of wild boars roaming the countryside can be traced back to the storm of 1987, when many escaped from ‘wild boar farms’. A subsequent report by the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) suggested that this was not a case of a few big animals on the loose, but that a substantial population had developed.

Scientists from The Game Conservancy Trust, a leading wildlife research charity, have in the past given their expert opinion to Government on whether action should be taken to control wild boar. At that time the Trust recommended that boar numbers should be controlled before the situation got out of hand, particularly as other countries such as France and Germany have seen their wild boar populations spiralling out of control. It is estimated that in Germany alone over 500,000 beasts are shot annually.

However, the current population level in this country is uncertain, but according to Government figures it could be in the region of 260 animals, located in areas such as Kent/East Sussex, West Dorset and Herefordshire. But many landowners suggest a much higher figure with their geographical spread increasing.

After an absence of 400 years this re-introduction of a once native beast and potentially a new big game species is seen by some as a welcome addition to the British countryside. Conversely, wild boar are fast-breeding mammals that rapidly rotivate pasture, damage valuable crops and potentially carry swine fever and foot and mouth disease.

The inclusion of wild boar in The Game Conservancy Trust’s National Gamebag Census, which has been analysing game records for over a century, is a reflection of the interest being shown in their return to this country. Dr Nicholas Aebischer, the Trust’s Deputy Director of Research said, “The National Gamebag Census charts the fortunes of game and many other predator species and it is a useful indicator of whether numbers need to be protected or controlled. With an increasing number of anecdotal reports of wild boar sightings, it seemed an appropriate time to chart their return and spread across the British countryside, so that we can be ready with precise data, if and when the species becomes subject to legislation.”