Herds of wild boars take over Murcia neighbourhoods
The huge animals are terrorising residents of Cieza as they forage for food
Hardly a rubbish bin is safe in the neighbourhood of Jover, located on the outskirts of Cieza, as hoards of wild boars take to the streets on a daily basis in search of food. Residents recently staged a mass protest to demand action from the local council, insisting that the huge animals are terrorising the area.
Resident group spokesperson Ana María Guardiola pointed out that, although boars are often described as harmless, “there have been cases of a wild boar attacking a person, especially if it is a child.”
“It's a problem because these animals run wild while children play in the street or they're waiting when you go to take the garbage bags to the container," said another local, who added that sightings have become much more frequent in the last few months, with the brazen animals now putting in an appearance during the day.
“Before there were two or three, now we see herds with their young and we are very afraid because they can do a lot of harm to a small child," she said.
Wild boar sightings skyrocketed during the pandemic, as the animals took advantage of the lock-down and quieter streets to venture into built-up areas to sniff out scraps. But they are growing bolder, and Cieza locals blame, in part, the state of the scrub lands beside the riverbank.
“If these spaces were clean, these animals would certainly not come so close, as they would have no places to hide,” the spokesperson added.
In an attempt to cull the ballooning population, the Conejo de Monte de Cieza Hunters' Association has arranged three hunts over the next few weeks. But it’s a complicated task since the area is so built-up, so extreme caution is needed to protect residents.
Therefore, among other methods, archery will be used, at the same time, methods “that are as painless as possible for the animals” will be used.
In the meantime, the council has advised homeowners not to leave cat and dog food sitting out, as this attracts wild boars, and they have appealed to everyone to dispose of their food waste responsibility.
Image: Pexels
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