Sightings of wild boar on Dartmoor have prompted suspicions of a guerrilla rewilding project. Boar were common in Britain until the 17th century, when they were hunted to extinction.
It’s estimated that 2,600 now live wild across the UK, with the largest sounder (herd) located in the Forest of Dean.
Recent sightings on Dartmoor, including a run-in with a surprised dog walker, could be the result of a previous release of 150 boar by animal activists in North Devon in 2006. But experts say sightings in broad daylight suggest a more recent illegal introduction.
Boars are crepuscular creatures, preferring to forage at dawn and dusk – which makes them hard to hunt or recapture.
Dartmoor park authorities are now taking guidance on whether a population can thrive sustainably without causing too much trouble.
