Wild boar populations are re-establishing in parts of the UK. Managing conflict between wild boar and farming while protecting individual animal welfare requires evidence-based approaches.
Wild boar welfare is complicated by their uncertain legal status and the unregulated nature of lethal control in England. Unlike deer, wild boar have no specific hunting season or calibre requirements in England, meaning they can be shot at any time by landowners. Welfare standards in lethal control depend entirely on individual operators. The social complexity of wild boar — experienced sows lead family groups with culturally transmitted foraging knowledge — means that poorly targeted culling can disrupt social structures in ways that cause ongoing welfare harm to surviving individuals. Non-lethal management through crop protection, electric fencing, and habitat management reduces conflict without welfare harm to individuals.