Wild boar are highly intelligent, ecologically important animals that increasingly come into conflict with agriculture and suburban communities. Management approaches profoundly affect their welfare.
Wild boar have cognitive and social complexity comparable to domestic pigs. Management through hunting and lethal control causes welfare harms including acute injury from non-lethal shots, separation of family groups, and the killing of dependent young when adults are removed. Welfare-sensitive population management avoids indiscriminate culling in favour of targeted interventions, ensures shot placement minimises wounding, avoids hunting during the farrowing season, and explores non-lethal options including contraception and exclusion fencing. Boar are sentient animals deserving of consideration in management decisions.