Wild boar have re-established in parts of England and Wales, raising wildlife management questions that have significant welfare implications for this intelligent and social species.
Wild boar are among the most cognitively advanced of UK wildlife species, with complex social structures and problem-solving abilities. Management through lethal culling causes welfare harm to shot animals and disrupts family group structures. Non-lethal management methods including exclusion fencing are more expensive but avoid direct welfare harm. The welfare of wild boar must be considered alongside legitimate management of the risks they pose to forestry and agriculture.