Wild boar have naturally recolonised parts of the UK. Managing their welfare and human-wildlife conflict requires evidence-based approaches.
Wild boar welfare in the UK sits at the interface of conservation, public safety, and animal welfare. As an apex omnivore with significant ecological impacts, boar require active management. However, management approaches vary considerably in their welfare implications. Culling during sensitive periods such as farrowing causes distress and potential orphaning of dependent piglets. Welfare-conscious management requires seasonally aware culling programmes, minimising wounding rates, and consideration of the social disruption that killing matriarchal individuals causes in boar groups.