Another French city takes measures to stop wild boar entering
It comes after a herd charged SNCF workers at the city’s station
Increased numbers of wild boar in urban areas have been seen in recent months
RnDmS/Shutterstock
A city in southwest France has become the latest to take action against increased numbers of wild boar venturing from surrounding forests into urban areas, by placing traps in strategic places.
Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) has recently reported wild boar getting very close to urban infrastructure, including allées Catherine de Bourbon, at the Stade d'Eaux Vives, and on the city’s ring road, reports Le Chasseur Français.
Last November, wild boar were also found at the SNCF station in the early evening, with a herd of the animals even charging some staff. No injuries or damage was caused, but the overall situation is considered to be of increasing danger to residents and buildings.
As a result, the city has tasked the departmental fédération de chasse (64) with setting up traps on the outskirts of town, in a bid to stop the animals from entering central areas.
Read also: Why are wild boars now a common sight in French towns?
Read more: What to do if you see a boar while out walking in France?
Read also: How can I keep wild boar away from my property?
Other anti-boar measures
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is not the only department to have introduced anti-boar measures in recent months.
In October 2024, Charente (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) introduced a system of nets - which can catch several wild boars at once - after some farmers reported them causing some €10,000-worth of damage at a time, reported La Charente Libre.
The system, which was already being used in the Landes area, permits farmers to trap five or six boar at a time. It works by stretching a net over a bait (usually a field of maize). The net is then gradually lowered, without the animal realising, eventually resulting in it trapping itself.
Read more: Brittany steps up fight against rising numbers of wild boar
In Dordogne (also in Nouvelle-Aquitaine), farmers have been given permission to trap the animals from April 1 to 14 this year. All 503 communes in the department will now be permitted to do this, a significant increase from the previous 97 allowed to do so, reports FranceBleu.
Farmers must undergo a one-day (free) training course - organised by la Fédération de Chasse and the Chambre d'Agriculture - to ensure they use the traps correctly. In 2023, between April 1 and June 30, around 100 boars were captured in this way.
Read also: Farmers union calls for right to shoot wild boar in Dordogne
Hunters also have a significant role to play.
In 2023, hunters removed 21,000 wild boar from Dordogne. This figure rose to 22,500 in 2024. Hunters have a major incentive to avoid wild boar damage; for every bit of damage they must reimburse farmers. In 2023, la Fédération de chasse de la Dordogne paid €700,000 in damages.
This growing anti-boar stance appears in sharp contrast to two other wild boar-related cases in recent months, in which residents have fought authorities to be allowed to keep one of the animals as ‘pets’.
