Call for feral tag to be lifted from boar
FORESTRY officials won't drop the "feral" tag from the Dean's roaming boar but campaigners fear it means they won't be respected as wild animals.
Passions are high in the Forest as a trial suspension of culling ended on September 1. Boar roamed the Forest of Dean until the 17th Century and reappeared after farmed boar were released or escaped near Staunton in 2005.
Campaign group Friends of the Boar say they're wild but officials prefer the term feral.
"Given their propensity to roam around picnic areas and gardens, and have large litters, it indicates they have strong domesticated ancestry," said Ian Harvey, the Forestry Commission's chief wildlife ranger. The feral tag has been used consistently with the Defra policy in the UK.
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"Where populations have either been released deliberately or accidentally, feral is the appropriate term, but people will call them what they will."
He denied the term would make it easier to wipe out the Forest boar.
"There is nothing in the Defra action plan on boar that indicates that would happen," he said. He said on private land, some owners wanted rid of them, while others didn't. On Commission land, he said the challenge is to get the balance with nature and people right."
A panel set up by Verderer Ian Standing heard evidence of estimates of between 100 and 600 boar in the Dean.
"If you went to Poland, Russia or France, the boar you would see there are similar to what is here," said Friends of the Boar spokesman Rob Ward, who called for the feral tag to go.
"They are not aggressive, like boar in the USA which are different."
Comments
by 2ladybugs
Wednesday, September 26 2012, 3:55PM
“Another short report.
A 13-year-old boy was attacked by a pig at a holiday park in Devon, suffering a bite on his arm.
Jordan Stock, from Pontypridd, south Wales, suffered the injury at Cofton Holiday Park at Teignbridge.
Park owner Chris Jefferey said it was the latest in a series of attacks on people by pigs roaming in the area.
Devon and Cornwall Police officers said they were not investigating, as there was no criminal legislation covering attacks by pigs.
Wild boar strain'
Mr Jefferey said that pigs had been attacking people in the area for the past two years.
"These pigs have been damaging the property of many residents at Cockwood by breaking in and turning gardens and fields upside down.
"These pigs are of wild boar strain and should be licensed according to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 as a hybrid of the wild boar."”
by 2ladybugs
Wednesday, September 26 2012, 2:54PM
“Coo.. I am having trouble finding what I want on my computer memory.
This is one of the minor stories.
Wild boar confronts man and dogs
Police have warned people to be on their guard against a wild boar seen near a Devon town.
A man walking his dogs near the Long Ash Garden Centre at Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, was confronted by the boar on Monday.
The animal approached the man and lunged aggressively at his two dogs. It left once the man retreated.
The RSPCA have been informed of the incident. Police are attempting to locate the animal.
They have asked walkers and residents to be wary if confronted by the boar.
ps I will continue rootling around.”
by gallopingbear
Wednesday, September 26 2012, 2:02PM
“Would love to see this wild boar attack story; could do with a laugh!
"Estimates of between 100 and 600 boar in the forest of Dean"? Somebody's getting paid for doing very little!
Around 100 boar is surely a manageable number, whereas 600 boar in just 7 years is a little alarming, and we have to consider the effects on the eco system, plants and other animals. A pretty inconclusive, useless article really.”
by 2ladybugs
Wednesday, September 26 2012, 9:54AM
“Re that "attack" if there actually was one and another reason why I might not have kept the article, is, because when anything that has escaped is broadcast in the media, everybody lays claim to have 'seen', 'had encounters with' etc.etc.
One reason I have serious doubts about the claim is that boar are nocturnal creatures and generally sleep during the daytime and feed at night.”
by 2ladybugs
Wednesday, September 26 2012, 6:43AM
“Hi Snake 2010
Will have a quick look to see if I can rootle out that piece. What I can remember was that a dog was involved, which shouldn't have been off the lead anyway as it was on farmland and which if you knew my views on that, I may well have filed the article in the bin .:((”
by Snake2010
Tuesday, September 25 2012, 10:04PM
“To all who have commented about the purity of the wild boar in the Forest of Dean, please answer this.
How do you know these animals are not pure boar? After all, apparently nobody knows who released them, so how does anyone know how pure they are.
Just pure speculation as normal.
No DNA testing has been performed on any boar from this area.
Fallow deer were released into the south of England by the Romans during the 1st century. This deer is not a native species, yet it is accepted as one. Why, because it doesn't frighten people, that's why.
Hopefully, one day the wild boar will be accepted and given the same protection as our non-native fallow deer.
2ladybugs, please find and post a link to the article where someone was attacked by a wild boar. It will be online somewhere I am sure as this type of thing always makes the headlines. Although I can't remember reading it!”
by FreeRadical1
Tuesday, September 25 2012, 6:20PM
“I think that polyphonic has the right idea. The reason that these boar are not truly wild is that their DNA is not 100% that of wild boar. If they had been wild boar that had been in captivity then had been released or escaped, they would be truly wild, but the evidence is that they had been mated with some sort of domestic pig at some time in the past. Therefore they are feral.”
by 2ladybugs
Tuesday, September 25 2012, 4:02PM
“Blimey Freeborn that was a bit daft then wasn't it. The ones near me were definitely AA's.
They cut through and destroyed most of the fencing.
Anyway boar seem to be feral.”
by Freeborn_John
Tuesday, September 25 2012, 2:26PM
“Well, as a Forest of Dean resident, I'm happy to tell you they were released by a farmer near Staunton... Not AR activists.”
by 2ladybugs
Tuesday, September 25 2012, 11:33AM
“@Freeborn-John
Actually the "bright spark" I was referring to were animal rights activists as per usual. Can always rely on those muppets to cause trouble.”