A close encounter of the sandy kind - no, this did not happen at Blackpool nor Bognor Regis - but it will one day!
This page has been added because the increasing British wild boar population is resulting in more and more confrontations (either pleasant or unpleasant) between wild boar and unsuspecting members of the public.
A close encounter of the sandy kind - no, this did not happen at Blackpool nor Bognor Regis - but it will one day!
Reports of such confrontations between wild boar in Britain and the British public are published on this page. All reports are printed with the authors permission and are reproduced faithfully except for minor editing to remove names and exact locations for confidentiality reasons.
Footage of a wild boar trying to escape from someone's garden in France 
can be seen here. This scenario has occurred a few times in Britain, and occurences in Britain are likely to increase with an increasing wild boar population.
Reports here are concerned only with the free-living British wild boar and the British public, using first hand experiences reported directly to us. The Public Safety page focusses on more general and worldwide aspects of wild boar safety.
If you have had such a confrontation or wild boar experience, do please let us know your story by emailing British Wild Boar.
Jack Russell chased by sow, sow chased by Jack Russell (Forest of Dean)
"My jack russell was charged by a large Sow 12th May 2008. Chased the Boar off and as soon as I turned away it came back to look at me again. The Boar must have been protecting young."
Sarah
Missed photo opportunity in the Dean
"On a circular walk from New Fancy View, Forest of Dean on Sunday 4 May 2008, we saw a group of 10 -12 boar including 1 [possibly 2] large dark male(s), 3 – 4 females and 6+ piglets moving onto a pathway near Blakeney Walk.
After both parties had stopped and stared at each other from a distance of approximately 100m, on our part with more than some amazement, the group moved back into the forest, when we reach this point they where again visible through the trees for a short period before disappearing.
Just as we had started this section of the walk, the guide noted that ‘if you are quiet you may see some deer’, sighting the boar group although a surprise, was much more interesting and memorable.
If we had not just stood and stared, we would have had ample time to take a number of photographs."
Diane & John, Gloucestershire
Living on borrowed time in the Forest of Dean
"Maybe 10 people walked by when we were with this pig and beckoned them over. Only 3 refused: 1 man wanted the dangerous thing shooting. The other 2 were convinced this individual had gored 2 dogs recently. So I showed them the pic of my dog (the Jack Russell) with the boar!
With reference to the Forestry Commission, they have been seen waiting in vehicles with a gun where this boar patrols. We are hoping to locate a chap who runs Lama trips in the forest because he went public offering to put "problem" pigs on his land. Hope we can save its life before the FC get to it."
David, Gloucestershire
A Jack Russell and the 'problem' pig. . (© David Slater reproduced with permission).
Tame wild boar in Devon:
"The boar in the Tavey valley here in Devon are definitely not wild. This morning I was in the woods (reasonably remote admittedly) and as I arrived on a quad bike a young male just walked up to within 2 yards of me. He just took a look and carried on foraging and worked his way up the hillside. He took no notice as I started a chain-saw. Interestingly he had just had a mud wallow in a nearby stream which made tracking him easy for a bit.
I have checked other parts of our woodland and there are signs of boar foraging with a selection of slot sizes, indicating more than just this lone male."
Pedro, Devon.
"License and registration please." An inquisitive sow photographed in Lithuania. We have not quite reached this situation in the UK - yet! (©Ramunas Stepanauskas http://ramunas.myweb.uga.edu/Lithuania/)
You can run but you can't hide:
"I have been reading the confrontation bit of the website and perhaps you would like to include the following either there or in the distribution and sightings page. As I have said to you before I generally go to Beckley [East Sussex].
I have had a few trips to see boars this year but none since late summer when my best score was 12 (2 groups, 1 adult with 5 young 4 of which were white, and the other group containing at least 3 well grown and 3 young of the year, 1 white young one.) Unfortunately the first group was too far off in the late dusk and the second caught me facing the wrong way down the track, so got no pix.
I have been trying to photograph boars in Sussex for several years and have found them to be shy and retiring. They are most active around dusk at which time, in my experience, they emerge onto forest tracks cautiously. On every occasion that I have seen them they have run away as soon as they have detected me, sometimes at very close ranges (25 down to 5 yards). They depart so quickly that I have only a couple of distant pictures of them, but I will keep trying.
I remain wary of them but it is hard to be too scared of something that always runs away. It is always a thrill to see them."
John from Farnborough, Hampshire.
Dog and boar troubles in East Sussex:
"I know of wild boar in the woods on the Kent/East Sussex border because my dog was attacked by one earlier on this year (May 2006). She had extensive injuries and is lucky to be alive. She is a fair size and did nothing to antagonise the boar, although it was the breeding season and probably had young.
They are also in the field behind our house and come down the footpath (which runs along our garden fence) forraging. We can here them crunching acorns.
My dog is a crossbreed (Bloodhound cross Harrier), so about as tall as a Labrador but quite alot narrower with long ears and the markings of a bloodhound. I'm afraid it might have been the bloodhound in her that found the boar in the first place.
I have attatched a couple of photos of her injuries, feel free to put them on your site, even if it's only to show what the boar can do."
from Lisa, East Sussex .
A warning sign familiar in the German Countryside. "keep dogs on a lead" accompanies the graphic image. Do we need signs like these in the UK?
Everything in the garden is not rosy:
"We posted in July sighting of Boar in my mother’s garden in W. Sussex, an escapee from her neighbour’s wild boar farm.
Apparently some one had cut the fencing and 35 animals had escaped. The farmer therefore disclaims all responsibility for their escape and consequent damage, suggesting that as a sort of Act of God his insurance would not cover damage to other’s property or persons. Since July the beasts have returned in force, on one day we have seen a sow with 10 piglets, on another a sow with two tiny slivers of piglet that my mother thinks were born under the camellia bush in her drive.
The problem is this. They have now uprooted about an acre of turf, making the garden almost inaccessible to her for fear of tripping. The gardener can no longer mow the lawn because of the turves thrown up, and indeed is unhappy about having to confront them on his own turf -so to speak- so has downed tools. He is elderly, has had a heart bypass operation and I fear could be at risk if exposed to shock. My mother clearly fears for his safety and worries that she as the landowner could herself be liable should anything happen. Furthermore, she herself no longer dares to go into the garden, and she is particularly concerned should any visitors to her land suffer damage.
The garden after an univited wild boar visit
After no sightings for a week, yesterday (Friday) when walking round the garden I heard laboured snorting from a large patch of hydrangeas, a dozen semi grown (about 3 ft long) piglets flew out in all directions then the mother emerged, squared up to me at a distance of 20 metres, and emanated some aggressive snorts. I put my hands on my hips and we entered a full on staring match. After some seconds Mrs B turned away and trotted tail-in-air down to the woods.
We had a garden contractor visit us in the evening. He stated he could re-turf the damaged lawn, but at some cost because he could only use small machinery between the old and rare apple trees in the garden. Anyway, this work could be rendered useless if there were further visits from our wb neighbours. Adding to this the garden is adjacent to several square miles of National Trust woodland, which I guess will act as a reserve for the beasts. In other words, the farmer is now powerless to round them up.
This contractor was accompanied by a fencing contractor, who suggested if he put up a new chestnut paling fence along her boundary in the woods, this would obviate the problem and the garden could be returfed quickly, whilst there remains a smidgeon of growing season (ie before November). This morning I rang our insurance company, who seemed bemused by the problem; they then stated that this damage was not covered under her policy, and we would have to take it up with the wild boar farmer. This is becoming a circular argument given that the farmer denies liability.
I have been reading the House of Lords case of Mirvahedy v Henley, which alludes to the fact that the Wild Animals Act 1971 states among other things (s1) "Where any damage is caused by an animal which belongs to a dangerous species, a keeper of the animal is liable for the damage, except as otherwise provided by this Act."
It is my understanding that as a condition of the licence held by the farmer to keep wild boar, he has to have insurance and as far as I can see, the wild boar are classified as dangerous wild animals and he has to accept liability for damage they cause even though their escape was none of his fault (ie he was not negligent).
We don’t want to get into some tangled Jarndyce v Jarndyce affair, that would not restore the garden before winter sets in, would not mitigate the immediate danger to my mother, her friends and gardener, would not get the lawn mown, and would not stop the beasts returning to start on the hostas, camellias and other rare flora. Only a fence would do it, and quick, before the damage grows. Is this not something the farmer should pay for? (My ma cannot afford to stock proof fence in 5 acres just like that!)"
PW, Hampshire.
Keith from East Sussex:
"On Sunday 21st May at 8.00pm [2006] my dog was attacked by a wild boar. It tossed the dog in the air and then had the dog pinned to the ground trying to bite it. The dog got away then the boar chased me and the dog. I dont think it had young because it went off in a different direction on its own. I have seen many wild boar in last two years but I have not had this problem. If the dog had been terrier size or perhaps small children I dread to think what might have happened.
I enjoy watching the boar, they seem to be spreading to Mountfield near Battle to Bedgebury Forest, Goudhurst."
Simon from the Dean:
"I live in the Forest of Dean. Today (6th May 2006) I saw my first wild boar as it chased me and my dogs for a good half mile (the dogs had not chased it and came straight back when whistled!). I could not believe how big this thing was, or how far it chased us, far in excess of chasing us away from its patch. I am thankful that I did not have my children with me, as I had to run like hell.
The dogs didn’t do anything to upset it (other than merely be present). They were a few yards ahead and were just sniffing around. They came when I called. I also used a spaniel whistle (very high pitched) to call the dogs, maybe this annoyed the boar?
It was lunchtime. I think that the boar was already on the move rather than us having disturbed it. No sign of injury, not that I looked too closely. I don’t recall tusks so assume that it was a female. I am sure that it was running quite hard, it was definitely in pursuit. It came after me with no hesitation at all. If I may say so, I am a fairly athletic 6’3" and can run quite quickly.
I would not go back with the dogs, and probably not without them either, although it might be tempting to return in a month or so when the young (assuming that there were some) are older and the boar less aggressive. Although it seems surreal now, it was truly terrifying at the time!
I contacted the Forestry Commission suggesting that they might like to put up a few small notices, as the area will shortly be popular with visitors due to it being covered in bluebells. I also advised the local police - just to keep my conscience clear."
Deborah from East Sussex:
"A large sow boar last night did some damage to my car. She ran off with a headache and I was left with a bashed car and having the fun of explaining it to
my insurance company this morning!! Very shocked that such a beast is running
freely in my village"
- Deborah, East Sussex. Sept 2005.
Trevor from Broad Oak:
"Just thought I'd let you know I ran over and killed a Wild Boar on 3rd Feb, about 1.5 miles away from Broad Oak about 6:30 in the evening. The pig was about 130 pounds (and tasted very nice, I had to have something back from having to pay out £250 excess on my insurance). The hassle I had with the repairs to my new car very much made me regret hitting it but at least it did die very quick. I have been driving that road for 25 years and that is the first Boar I have seen. Also it had a snare around its snout and it had lead shot in its rear end!! Not had a very good life and there are illegal poachers out there!"
- Trevor, East Sussex. Mar 2006.