Wild boar are increasingly present in European cities, creating management challenges that involve both public safety and individual animal welfare considerations.
Urban wild boar welfare involves multiple considerations: the welfare of individual boar in conflict situations, the welfare of sows with piglets disrupted by management interventions, and the welfare implications of different control methods. Urban shooting raises particular welfare concerns due to the difficulty of clean kills in complex environments. Non-lethal management addressing the food attractants that draw boar into urban areas is more welfare-positive and sustainable. Boar injured in road accidents or conflict situations require prompt veterinary attention or euthanasia.