Wild boar have returned naturally or been reintroduced to parts of Europe and North America, raising welfare questions for both the boar and affected communities.
Reintroduced wild boar occupy an ambiguous status: native wildlife that was driven out by humans, now returning to landscapes that have changed dramatically. The welfare of individual boar in management cull operations — including the use of dogs and snares — raises concerns comparable to those applied to pest species management generally. The ecological benefits of wild boar — rooting that creates habitat diversity — represent a positive welfare and biodiversity argument that rarely features in public discourse about their management.