Wild boar are spreading naturally or being reintroduced across Europe and the UK, raising questions about their welfare in conflict with agriculture and the ethics of lethal management.
Wild boar are highly intelligent, socially complex animals with significant cognitive abilities comparable to domestic pigs. Lethal management through shooting raises welfare questions about the quality of kills, particularly when injured animals escape. Populations recovering from being driven to low numbers experience social disruption. Human provisioning of wild boar in urban-fringe areas habituates them to humans, increasing conflict and ultimately leading to calls for lethal control. Where populations are managed, welfare-conscious approaches using experienced marksmen and minimizing wounded escapes are important. Trapping and relocation raises both welfare and biosecurity concerns. Electric fencing is an effective non-lethal deterrent for agricultural protection.