The Wild Boar Issue in Italy Grows More Serious Despite Culling Efforts in Cities.
Addressing wild boar becomes a challenging issue in Italy. (Photo: Euronews)
A herd of wild boars has been roaming around several houses in the southern Italian region of Calabria, as reported by Euronews on August 16. This has turned Catanzaro, the capital of Calabria, into the latest city facing the wild boar problem. It is common to see a group of about 20 boars living in the suburbs of the city, avoiding any buildings, while still wandering around houses located near rural areas.
Giorgio Arcuri, a member of the city’s environmental council, has called on authorities to implement appropriate measures to address the root of the problem, which includes culling the boars. Currently, Italy is seeking ways to manage the wild boars invading towns and cities. The Italian agricultural organization Coldiretti has described this as a “nationwide invasion.”
Last year, wild boars invaded Rome, coming close to people and scavenging leftover food near trash bins, seemingly unfazed by the bustling streets of Italy’s capital. Authorities are increasingly concerned about the skyrocketing wild boar population in various cities, which poses risks of spreading diseases or attacking residents. However, their solution of culling wild boars has sparked controversy within the community.
The Smithsonian reported in 2022 that there are approximately 2.3 million wild boars roaming across Italy, with about 20,000 residing in Rome. In December 2022, the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued an order to cull wild boars in Rome, but faced strong opposition from animal rights activists. Consequently, hunters were allowed to use bows and arrows to kill wild boars for meat. Hunting wild boars was permitted even in typically restricted areas such as urban zones and nature reserves. This decision has also been criticized for encouraging hunting activities. Last month, Catanzaro’s mayor, Nicola Fiorita, also authorized the culling of 30 wild boars wandering in a city park.
