After a series of attacks by wild boars, authorities in multiple provinces across China have been compelled to deploy hunters to eliminate this harmful species.
Wild boars have become an increasing threat to cities in China, where they attack humans and destroy property, prompting authorities to allocate funds and hunting teams to address the issue, according to China Daily.
Wild boars are becoming a nuisance in many provinces in China. (Photo: Strait Times).
On November 2, a woman in Chuzhou, southeastern China, was knocked over and lightly injured by a wild boar while trying to protect small children. Earlier, the animal had chased two children playing outdoors, nearly hitting them, and continued to attack a resident driving a tractor. Eventually, it was shot dead by the police.
A few days prior, a wild boar indirectly caused the death of a railway worker in Nanjing. The train carrying the worker collided with the wild boar. When he exited the train to inspect the situation, he was struck by another train moving on the adjacent track. On the same day, a wild boar also invaded a hotel lobby in the city, but no one was injured. Nanjing police reported receiving 713 reports about wild boars in 2023, a 19% increase from the previous year, bringing the total number of incidents over the past three years to 1,913, mostly related to traffic accidents or disturbances caused by wild boars.
China is home to over 2 million wild boars. They have been reported in 28 provinces, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. In 26 of those provinces, they attack humans or cause property damage. The problem is most severe in provinces such as Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Guangdong, according to researcher Jin Kun at the Chinese Academy of Forestry. Jin stated that the population of wild boars is rapidly increasing due to improved environments and a lack of natural predators such as tigers and wolves.
“The habitat for wildlife has improved in China due to environmental protection efforts and a series of conservation measures. The strong reproductive and adaptive capabilities of wild boars also contribute to their rapid population growth,” said Jin.
Jin noted that wild boars are more likely to approach human habitats during the spring and autumn, leading to a surge in recent encounters. Autumn is the harvest season, and wild boars often rummage through farmland to eat rice, corn, and fruits. Their primary purpose in invading cities is to find food, but they may also seek to expand their habitats.
Last year, China eased hunting restrictions on wild boars after removing them from the list of protected species. Since then, 14 provinces have organized hunting teams to control the boar population. Chinese law also permits hunting wild boars for medical purposes, for their hides, or as feed for livestock, but not for human consumption. Authorities have allocated over $8.5 million to control the boar population. More than 10,000 wild boars have been hunted since January of this year.
Local governments are also taking action to address the issue. The forestry agency in Baoji, Shaanxi province, deployed two hunting teams last month, killing 830 wild boars. In October, the government of Guyuan County in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region authorized six teams to use technology such as drones, infrared cameras, and positioning systems to eliminate wild boars.
