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Wild Boar

Doesn't sound as if these boars were a threat.

The mayor of Rome has ordered an investigation after a family of wild boar were shot and killed by police in a children's playground.

A female boar and her six piglets wandered into the playground near the Vatican last week, and crowds of children soon came to feed the animals. But when police arrived on Friday, they shot the boar with tranquiliser darts and gave them lethal injections. Their killing prompted anger from residents and animal rights groups.

"It was decided to hastily kill [the animals] who had found shelter in the Aurelio play area, instead of saving their lives given the alternative solutions that had been offered," a statement from the International Organization for Animal Protection said.

"I was offering to capture, transfer and host [the] wild boars," Michela Brambilla, an MP who heads an animal rights group, told the Corriere della Serra newspaper. "I was proposing a non-bloody choice." ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54599913
 
Doesn't sound as if these boars were a threat.

The mayor of Rome has ordered an investigation after a family of wild boar were shot and killed by police in a children's playground.

A female boar and her six piglets wandered into the playground near the Vatican last week, and crowds of children soon came to feed the animals. But when police arrived on Friday, they shot the boar with tranquiliser darts and gave them lethal injections. Their killing prompted anger from residents and animal rights groups.

"It was decided to hastily kill [the animals] who had found shelter in the Aurelio play area, instead of saving their lives given the alternative solutions that had been offered," a statement from the International Organization for Animal Protection said.

"I was offering to capture, transfer and host [the] wild boars," Michela Brambilla, an MP who heads an animal rights group, told the Corriere della Serra newspaper. "I was proposing a non-bloody choice." ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54599913

lt’s all fun until someone loses an eye, i.e. the sow perceives one of the “crowds of children” as a threat to her young...

ln other news, ltalians eat approximately 32kg of pork per head annually.

maximus otter
 
I dont like to think what trouble a sow with piglets could cause if she put her mind to it.

Then again; could be an amusing disaster.
 
A friend in Haifa reports and posts photos from her windows of a number of wild pigs who come into the city regularly daily at dusk to raid garbage. Increased during the lockdown. And I thought racoons were a pain.
 
Perhaps the Italians (and others) cooing over the ickle-wickle piggy-wiggies, and squealing at the howwible nasty men who shoot them, might benefit from typing the search term “boar attack” into YouTube.
 
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Perhaps the Italians (and others) cooing over the ickle-wickle piggy-wiggies, and squealing at the howwible nasty men who shoot them, might benefit from typing the search term “boar attack” into YouTube.
Not having a firearms certificate, only a shotgun certificate, I wonder if a couple of 42g No 1’s would stop a beast of that size?
 
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Not having a firearms certificate, only a shotgun certificate, I wonder if a couple of 42g No 1’s would stop a beast of that size?

I’m sure that you’d get better results than using a shovel, but l wouldn’t fancy your chances.

l have no idea of ever shooting boar, especially with a shotgun; but if l did, l’d want a semi-auto with an extended mag full of slug cartridges. And a mate behind me with a rifle, preferably chambered in a calibre beginning with “4”.

maximus otter
 
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I’m sure that you’d get better results than using a shovel, but l wouldn’t fancy your chances.

l have no idea of ever shooting boar, especially with a shotgun; but if l did, l’d want a semi-auto with an extended mag full of slug cartridges. And a mate behind me with a rifle, preferably chambered in a calibre beginning with “4”.

maximus otter
In the periods and places where they did actually go out deliberately boar-hunting, it was known as a very dangerous undertaking, requiring heavy-duty equipment (spears, swords) and essential back-up. British medieval boar spears were unusually long and heavy, were intended to be propped against the ground or a rock or something other than the individual hunter, and had a crossbar firmly attached a few feet from the handle in the hope that this would stop or at least slow down the completely impaled boar who tusk and teeth first was running full-tilt at his attacker. Boar dogs were big and heavy and frequently injured. On the other hand, barnyard pigs and their adorable little piggie-wigglets although they have a reputation for crankiness and for eating anything that can't outrun them are unlikely to attack humans unless they feel threatened - and all they have going for them is weight. I've had several friends from farm country who had pet pigs as kids. In both cases mom sold them out from under the kid when the pig got so heavy he broke through the floor.
 

Wild boar surround woman near Rome and steal food shopping

A herd of wild boar surrounded a woman who had just come out of a supermarket near Rome and stole her shopping

The animals, four adults and two young boars, pursue the woman as she backs away, attempting in vain to keep them at bay. The angry woman is then forced to drop the shopping bag on the ground, which is immediately raided by the animals.

The little ones start eating the contents of the bag in the car park, others take what they can and run away.

Wild boar are believed to be responsible for an average of 10,000 road accidents a year in Italy.

Two million boar are estimated to roam Italy and hunting them is a popular pastime. Boar meat is a staple of Tuscan and Umbrian cuisine.

video at link.
 
@hunck damn your fast-fingered posting* :)

I was just coming to post that.
How brilliant.
I hope the woman is not too traumatised but, go on the boars!



*Yes, I do realise it hours ago, but it's been a busy day.
 
Beware of Kerry boars.

Members of the public in Kerry are asked to report any sightings of a large male boar running wild in the Mount Eagle area and not to approach the animal.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has moved quickly to capture a number of the animals, now an alien species, after a report came in from the area on Tuesday.

However, one large male has not been located and is now running wild.

Once native to Kerry – some well-known placenames, such as Torc near Killarney as well as Muckross, trace their origins to the wild boar which fed on the acorns of the local oak woodlands– boar in the wild are now an invasive species and are brought in illegally.

It is currently an offence without a current licence to release certain species into the wild which may have serious implications for native flora and fauna, the Department of Housing and Heritage has said.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ire...running-wild-in-kerry-public-warned-1.4594965
 
Beware of Kerry boars.

Members of the public in Kerry are asked to report any sightings of a large male boar running wild in the Mount Eagle area and not to approach the animal.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has moved quickly to capture a number of the animals, now an alien species, after a report came in from the area on Tuesday.

However, one large male has not been located and is now running wild.

Once native to Kerry – some well-known placenames, such as Torc near Killarney as well as Muckross, trace their origins to the wild boar which fed on the acorns of the local oak woodlands– boar in the wild are now an invasive species and are brought in illegally.

It is currently an offence without a current licence to release certain species into the wild which may have serious implications for native flora and fauna, the Department of Housing and Heritage has said.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ire...running-wild-in-kerry-public-warned-1.4594965
I find it odd that, if the boar were once native, surely they wont damage the local flora and fauna, as they have previously co-existed.
 
it is no longer the flora an fauna they were in. And there are things like more people with dogs...
So in essence what they are saying is 'we are worried they might hurt crops, livestock and pets', rather than 'native fauna and flora', which are in themselves most likey introduced species.
 
So in essence what they are saying is 'we are worried they might hurt crops, livestock and pets', rather than 'native fauna and flora', which are in themselves most likey introduced species.

I think it's more than that. Boars take up lots of space and there is less space for them to do boar-type (?boring) stuff in. So they will overload woodland rapidly and cause problems for other species because they are all crammed in together.

I'd be happy to have wolves back in Scotland. Boars are more difficult but I think we could manage a few. Maybe. Perhaps.
 
I find it odd that, if the boar were once native, surely they wont damage the local flora and fauna, as they have previously co-existed.

The local flora & fauna didn’t previously include 6.5M Irish people and the cash crops on which so many people depend.

Zero predators + congenial environment + lovingly-cultivated food supply = piggy problem.

“Feral pigs are a growing problem in the United States and also on the southern prairies in Canada[9] and Ontario.[10]

As of 2013, the estimated population was 6 million.[11] A conservative estimate indicates that feral pigs cause about 1.5 billion dollars in property and agricultural damage every year in the United States both in wild and agricultural lands.[12] However, the actual cost is likely considerably higher.[13] As of 2018 an estimate from the University of Georgia indicated it was closer to between 2 billion and 2.5 billion.[14].

Their ecological damage may be equally problematic with 26% lower vertebrate species richness in forest fragments they have invaded.[15]

Because pigs forage by rooting for their food under the ground with their snouts and tusks, a group of feral pigs can damage acres of planted fields in just a few nights.[11]

Because of the feral pig's omnivorous nature, it is a danger to both plants and animals endemic to the area it is invading. Game animals such as deer and turkeys, and more specifically, flora such as the Opuntia plant, have been especially affected by the feral hog's aggressive competition for resources.[16]

Feral pigs have been determined to be potential hosts for at least 34 pathogens that can be transmitted to livestock, wildlife, and humans.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_pig#North_America

maximus otter
 
The local flora & fauna didn’t previously include 6.5M Irish people and the cash crops on which so many people depend.

Zero predators + congenial environment + lovingly-cultivated food supply = piggy problem.

“Feral pigs are a growing problem in the United States and also on the southern prairies in Canada[9] and Ontario.[10]

As of 2013, the estimated population was 6 million.[11] A conservative estimate indicates that feral pigs cause about 1.5 billion dollars in property and agricultural damage every year in the United States both in wild and agricultural lands.[12] However, the actual cost is likely considerably higher.[13] As of 2018 an estimate from the University of Georgia indicated it was closer to between 2 billion and 2.5 billion.[14].

Their ecological damage may be equally problematic with 26% lower vertebrate species richness in forest fragments they have invaded.[15]

Because pigs forage by rooting for their food under the ground with their snouts and tusks, a group of feral pigs can damage acres of planted fields in just a few nights.[11]

Because of the feral pig's omnivorous nature, it is a danger to both plants and animals endemic to the area it is invading. Game animals such as deer and turkeys, and more specifically, flora such as the Opuntia plant, have been especially affected by the feral hog's aggressive competition for resources.[16]

Feral pigs have been determined to be potential hosts for at least 34 pathogens that can be transmitted to livestock, wildlife, and humans.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_pig#North_America

maximus otter

Introduce wolves, they'll deal with the boars and after that feed on Kerry people.
 
Introduce wolves, they'll deal with the boars and after that feed on Kerry people.
That reminds me of the extremely bad taste advertising slogan 'Kerry Gold' butter came up with in 2014.

'More spreadable than ebola'

"Kerrygold released a press statement this morning parading its new slogan to attract new customers to the brand. The slogan states, 'Kerrygold, more spreadable than Ebola.” It is cashing in on the worldwide epidemic that has spread fear of the disease around the globe.29 Oct 2014"

https://www.oxygen.ie/kerrygolds-new-campaign-slogan-drawn-critcism-insensitive/
 
I think it's more than that. Boars take up lots of space and there is less space for them to do boar-type (?boring) stuff in. So they will overload woodland rapidly and cause problems for other species because they are all crammed in together.

I'd be happy to have wolves back in Scotland. Boars are more difficult but I think we could manage a few. Maybe. Perhaps.
I don't think that when it comes to pigs there is such a thing as "a few" permanently.
 
Boar barbarians invade Rome.

Rome has been invaded by Gauls, Visigoths and vandals over the centuries, but the Eternal City is now grappling with a rampaging force of an entirely different sort – rubbish-seeking wild boar.

Entire families of wild boar have become a daily sight in Rome, as groups of up to 30 animals, young and old, emerge from the vast parks surrounding the city to trot down traffic-clogged streets in search of food in Rome’s notoriously overflowing rubbish bins.

Posting wild boar videos on social media has become something of a sport as exasperated Romans capture the scavengers marching past their stores, pushchairs or playgrounds.

As Rome gears up for a local election next weekend, the wild boar invasion has been used as a political weapon to attack mayor Virginia Raggi over the city’s formidable rubbish collection problems.

But experts say the issue is more complicated and tied at least in part to a booming boar population.

Italy’s main agriculture lobby, Coldiretti, estimates there are more than two million wild boar in Italy.

The region of Lazio surrounding Rome estimates there are 5,000-6,000 of them in city parks, a few hundred of which regularly abandon the trees and green for urban asphalt and rubbish bins.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-40706528.html
 
I can't blame them, I don't like her songs either. Wonder if it really happened : She then turned to her son ... and said: "Milan tell the truth. Say how your mummy stood up to the wild boar."

Pop superstar Shakira says she was the victim of a random attack by a pair of wild boars while walking in a park in Barcelona with her eight-year-old son.


The Colombian singer said the animals attacked her, before seizing her bag and retreating with it into the woods. She shared her bizarre tale in a series of Instagram stories on Wednesday.

Holding the now recovered but torn bag towards the camera, she said: "Look at how two wild boar which attacked me in the park have left my bag. "They were taking my bag to the woods with my mobile phone in it," the singer continued. "They've destroyed everything." She then turned to her son, whose father is the Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué, and said: "Milan tell the truth. Say how your mummy stood up to the wild boar."

Shakira is the latest victim of the increasingly aggressive hogs which have invaded the Catalan capital in recent years.

In 2016, Spanish police received 1,187 phone calls about wild hogs attacking dogs, plundering cat-feeders, holding up traffic and running into cars in the city.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58747464
 
I was gonna post about that, lol.
I liked the bit about the police officer...
"In 2013, one city police officer attempted to take charge of the problem himself and shot at a boar with his service revolver, but missed and hit his partner instead."

Yeah right, sure you did. More like you just didn't like your partner.
 
"Whenever, Wherever..."
Well, not now, and not in a park in Barcelona.
 
So our hero was a DR in the British army stationed in Germany, he is making his way back to base
through a forest on his bike when what he described as a Grunny Pig "Wild Bore" took a dislike
to him and the bike, it ran at him forcing him to swerve up a narrow path pig in hot pursuit, he came
into a clearing and in the middle was a German Family having a picnic with everything spread out
on a blanket, no way was he stopping and ploughed straight across scattering Germans food and drink
all over the place, is last view of the pig it was charging round the clearing chasing the Germans
with the picnic blanket over its head, he did not report the incident and heard nothing more about it.
Must admit the tail creased me up when I heard it.
 
Vid at link

Barcelona tackles roaming wild boar problem​

Barcelona is one of a number of European communities which have large numbers of wild boar living nearby and they have become a common presence in the city itself.

The singer Shakira, who lives in Barcelona, recently complained that a boar had attacked her in a park, and encounters between locals and the animals have been on the increase.

As a result, the local government is trying to bring the boars under control.

Produced by Guy Hedgecoe, filming Juan Dominguez

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-59352740
 
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