Wild boar tear up pensioner's garden in Coleford

“When will the Citizen paper ever concern themselves with facts and realism?

"Wild boar tore through Coleford". I live in Coleford and no-one saw anything. Maybe the boar ambled or trotted or just simply "walked" into town?

I checked the grass out at this chaps house. His garden is safe. This grass is public highway and it's about 10x20ft in area.

No mud, not even spillage onto the pavement! And curiously, no other diggings for miles either side - other than small inconsequential bit about the same size at the golf course nearby.

YES - the grass is NOT this man's but is public highway. Did the Citizan chack facts?

To the Citizen - I saw a pink pet pig and a large red herring being walked at the golf course and down the street to the chip shop opposite this man's house. Please report it. I said it to you SO IT MUST BE TRUE.

I doubt there were 10 boar because the grass isn't big enough to accommodate more than 3 boar. What did the others do? Maybe go for the neighbours frontage a yard away? Oh no - nothing touched on the neighbours frontage at all!

Get real Citizen and stopp exaggerating just to make feel frightened so you can sell your gutter rubbish.

1,000's of innocent wild animals may die because of this irresponsible article written by a journo who clearly has no sense of truth nor investigation in him whatsoever.

Please do report that I saw a pet pig in Coleford on that day.....”

“It appears that the 'devastation' was only damage to the grass verge outside the property, which presumably belongs to the county council. Talk about a storm in a teacup.”

“Thanks for the informative post.

Good to see the boar have a sensible ally. Surely they bring tourists in to the forest, and high rabbit populations are much more destructive than boar.”

“Hello Gallopingbear

Sorry for the arrows :) Was trying to point our shovel marks for supporters online.

No, we are certainly not against a cull full-stop. Here is what Friends of the Boar are aiming to achieve......

- Raise awareness of this species in the Forest of Dean and further afield
- Educate local residents and tourists on how to behave around the wild boar
- See the experimental closed season for 2012 implemented every year as standard procedure and to keep the pressure on, so that these animals are only managed when absolutely necessary
- Actively campaign to achieve the protection status they deserve and to get the feral tag dropped (this can be done by petitioning DEFRA)
- Educate the general public to help put an end to the feeding of this animal

Overview
We want to see them managed properly without cruelty. We want more effort put into the understanding of wild boar, with an objective plan to educate the public how to live safely and peacefully alongside the wild boar. Presently, we don't believe this is happening. We believe the boar is persecuted and unfairly treated and the public are misled about the true character and socio-economic benefits that they bring to Britain.”

“Thankyou very much, friends of the boar, for supplying an image. Having seen it, I don't really know what all the fuss is about. It is not as if the dug up land (which didn't really need super-imposed arrows, did it?) is preventing safe access to the house. Sure, it looks a bit unsightly, but the upturned earth all looks strangely shallow and similar shape/depth, and untrampled, especially considering the rain we have been having. It could have easily been done with a shovel-although I don't know why somebody would.

FOTB, I joked earlier about boar being tasty (it is), but I do like them running wild too. However, it does seem that slight, selective culling would help to sustain a healthy population, as is done on private land where people keep boar and deer. Are you against culling, full stop?”

“Thanks Tombardier, accurate numbers there. It has been know for two litters and two sows to combine, people only spot one sow and assume they are all one sows young. Such a hard job to monitor these animals, hence our online sighting tool to try and advise the FC http://tinyurl.com/8klq2nh

Some people also confuse the first year females litter, born the previous year, which happens in the Autumn as a second litter for older sows. There are very few Autumn litters, and most sows adapt quickly to give birth in the Spring only.”

“Litter size is typically 4–6 piglets but may be smaller for first litter, usually 2–3. The largest litters can be up to 14 piglets.”

“To DouglasKnows

You are wrong, ''A sow can easily have two litters of 12-15 piglets twice a year.'' A sow to have 15 piglets is very rare, to have two litters a year is even rarer, so add the two together and you have something that will never happen. These statistics are used by pro-cull fans to scare people.

Also keep in mind, in the Forest of Dean sow litters can half in size over the first 3-4 mths since birth due to natural death, RTAs”

“If they are not widely culled professionally they WILL overrun the forest and its surrounding areas. Farms will be damaged as well as gardens. A sow can easily have two litters of 12-15 piglets twice a year. In Australia they are hunted by anyone with a gun, including helicopter marksmen. Crops are ruined and farmers are going bust. There are more wild boar than there are humans in Australia and we will be the same if we dont cull them before they are completely out of control.”

“No one is doubting you tombadier. The video shows the boar clearly, and looking healthy and natural behaviour, and next to woodland, you cannot compare that to a main road in Coleford. Anyways the grass will grow back in few weeks, I know this as they did the same outside a FotB members house, and you would never know they'd been there now.

If you want to discuss the genetics of feral v pure wild boar, we would be happy to listen and can be contacted via http://tinyurl.com/cd3gyem”