Wild boar populations are expanding across Europe and parts of North America, creating management challenges with significant welfare implications.
Wild boar that survive wounding during hunting face the welfare consequences of untreated injuries - pain, infection, and potentially prolonged dying. Methods that wound without immediate killing - poor shot placement, inappropriate caliber, or night shooting without adequate visibility - cause significant suffering. Trapping methods used to control populations may hold animals for extended periods without food or water. The expansion of wild boar into suburban and peri-urban areas where hunting is impractical creates pressure for other control methods with less oversight. African swine fever causes severe disease with painful symptoms in affected animals.