Wild Boar involved in fatal accident on the M4

There are now an estimated 1,000 in the wild.

I think they have well underestimated the amount of boar in the UK. When i see the estimation for boar numbers in Sweden and then read the cull figures they are allways under in their numbers estimations. I read that there are no boar in the area where the accident happened but boar roam great distanses. I remember about 5 years ago when an old chap shot the first boar in our area
and it was said that there were no boar in 30 miles. We have plenty of boar here now.
 
There are now an estimated 1,000 in the wild.

Who came up with that estimate Bob? I heard that there were at least 900 in the Forest of Dean, so the other 100 must be spread fairly thin throughout the country.:lol:
 
Who came up with that estimate Bob? I heard that there were at least 900 in the Forest of Dean, so the other 100 must be spread fairly thin throughout the country.:lol:

Well can you spread some this way please
 
Who came up with that estimate Bob? I heard that there were at least 900 in the Forest of Dean, so the other 100 must be spread fairly thin throughout the country.:lol:


Sorry boys but of the 100 i have at least 22 on one of my bits as that is the size of one herd ive seen this season
 
It was hit near Swindon between 17 and 16. If so that's some 40 miles from any other sightings I have heard of. Wonder if it was an escapee from a farm?
 
There is a Boar Farm not too far away, although I'd be surprised if one managed to get out. The fencing is extremely good and with an additional electric section.
 
A tragic accident that's probably not made any easier for the family to bear by people getting all excited about the involvement of an unusual animal.

The article also makes it sound as though the fatality was caused by the boar rather than the lorry, which seems unlikely.

With the inexorable spread of feral boar, sadly we're likely to see this repeated, assuming there's little chance of improvement in the road sense of boar... or the reflexes of lorry drivers.

Does anyone lese feel that the New Year has begun with more than its share of grim news?
 
A tragic accident that's probably not made any easier for the family to bear by people getting all excited about the involvement of an unusual animal.

The article also makes it sound as though the fatality was caused by the boar rather than the lorry, which seems unlikely.

With the inexorable spread of feral boar, sadly we're likely to see this repeated, assuming there's little chance of improvement in the road sense of boar... or the reflexes of lorry drivers.
Does anyone lese feel that the New Year has begun with more than its share of grim news?


Its been a growing problem here, Rta's with boar. Whilst roe are still the most common animal in car, animal accidents boar are increasingly involved. Most main roads in Sweden are fenced to stop moose and deer getting on the road and in the main they work very well. The fences will not stop boar as they just go under and to stop this the fence has to be buried a half meter in the ground. The Min of Transport say it too expensive to bury the fence so won't be happening.
Also being the tough animal they are, boar often go away injured and that then leaves a dangerous animal to be dealt with.
I think there will have to be rethink by the police how to handle Rta's involving boar.

Ps, Wild boar are wild boar. Pigs gone wild are feral.
 
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As all the "wild" boar in the UK come originally from captive farmed stock, "feral" struck me as the appropriate word in a British context.

If it looks like, acts like, breeds like and is as tough as a wild boar...... the they are wild boar!

in the same way as farm reds with other wapiti genes say are still just red deer if they escape but unfortunately any tragic accident regardless of the species involved in the rta is always a terrible loss.
 
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Looks like I've ended up with a foot in each camp!

On reflection, a farmed "wild boar" in an enclosure is evidently a "wild boar", even though it isn't actually wild.
Once it gets out it is "feral" (as per the definition above), but still a "wild boar", albeit a "feral wild boar", which, pedantry aside, is a phrase I find hard to like.
Such a pity we don't have a better word for them, on the lines of "sanglier", or "jabalí".
I wonder what the Germans make of it: do they have a different way of referring to "wildschwein" when they're on a farm as opposed to being in a forest?

Actually, I've decided this isn't the place for pedantry. Bad taste. Sorry.
 
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Tragic and very unlucky

BTW my FAC says "Feral Pigs"

So with the way UK firearms law work and the paranoia that go's with it :doh: if you now shoot a wild boar then you break the condition on your FAC :scared:. Feral pigs are not wild boar.
Feral pigs/hogs are what they have in the US and Australia. But I'm sure the legal beagles on SD will be along to sort it out for you :D.
 
Tragic and very unlucky

BTW my FAC says "Feral Pigs"

From what I have read in the past I think that this wording was adopted by some police forces in Scotland following a court case some years ago where the judge ruled that there were no such animals in Scotland as "Wild Boar" only feral boar. The decision was apparently made following evidence produced to show that the animals in question were not pure european wild boar and were escapees anyway.

I believe that the accident occurred between junction 16 and 17 that combined with the story also in the news this week that Princess Anne's Gloucester Old Spot boar was killed by a wild boar that broke into it's enclosure at Gatcombe makes you realise just how far these boar have spread.
 
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Very tragic accident this, made all the worse by the fact I knew the gentleman involved - we used to fly together.

It has shown me you never know what's around the corner and to take opportunities when they come up - and cherish what and who is dear to you.

RIP Raymundo, a true gent.
 
On the local news again this evening, similar incident a few years ago in same area but thankfully not fatal.

I am pretty sure I saw a dead weaner size boar dead on the road at Tortworth N Bristol some years ago.

I have a cutting from ST 06/10/2005 on the letter page is a picture of a Mr Mark Curtis with what looks like a very big boar shot in Gloucestershire, so they have had nearly 10 yrs to move along the M4.

D
 
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