Wild pigs and boars are highly intelligent, invasive in many regions, and subject to hunting and eradication programs that raise welfare concerns about killing methods and orphaned young.
Wild pig welfare involves genuine tensions between the damage they cause to agriculture and ecosystems and their status as intelligent, social animals capable of significant suffering. Aerial shooting programs cause variable animal suffering depending on accuracy. Trapping systems that hold animals for extended periods cause stress. Where lethal control is necessary for ecological management, it should use the most humane available methods with shortest possible time from capture to death. The welfare of orphaned piglets following adult removal is a specific concern that management programs should address.