Wild boar and feral pig populations are expanding across Europe and North America, creating conflicts with agriculture and conservation that raise significant animal welfare questions.
Wild boar and feral pig management involves widespread lethal control with variable welfare standards. Hunting success rates vary significantly — wounded animals that escape suffer from injuries over days or weeks. Trapping followed by shooting can be humane if traps are checked frequently, but infrequent checks leave trapped animals suffering from stress, injury, and exposure. Culling of sows without regard to dependent young creates orphaned piglets who face slow deaths. The intelligence and social complexity of these animals means individual suffering is likely significant. Developing more humane and effective management approaches is an active area of wildlife management research.