Wild boar are being reintroduced or returning naturally to parts of Britain and Europe, creating welfare questions about management of free-living populations.
Wild boar welfare spans the spectrum from natural life with full behavioural expression to management challenges. Rooting and foraging fulfil deep behavioural drives; social group living supports psychological wellbeing. However, population pressure, road collision, and poorly executed culling cause significant welfare harm. As with deer, apex predator reintroduction would provide the most natural welfare-positive population regulation over time.