Wednesday 4 June 2014

Issue piece: controlling the wild boar population in the Forest of Dean

WILD BOAR ARE THRIVING IN THE FOREST OF DEAN, BUT WITH PLANS FOR A CULL IN AUGUST, FORESTRY COMMISSION WILDLIFE MANAGER IAN HARVEY EXPLAINS THE ISSUES

How many wild boar are thought to be living in the Forest of Dean?
We undertook a thermal image survey of the boar in late winter 2013 and this indicated a minimum population of 535 animals, before juvenile recruitment from spring births. We carried out a repeat survey in February 2014 and are awaiting analysis of the results. We anticipate it indicating a growth in the population.

How did the boar come to be here?
Boar became extinct in the UK in the 17th Century through hunting and habitat loss. The boar first became present in Forestry Commission woodlands near Ross on Wye in the 1990s as escapees from a farm. In 2004 a group of about 60 animals were illegally dumped near Staunton to the west of the forest. These two populations have since mingled and bred to form the population that exists today. They are in no way the result of a planned re-introduction programme.

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