Farmers in Scotland see wild boar pulling apart and eating sheep

General Chat In The News
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Other farmers in the Scottish Highlands say they regularly kill lambs.

However, conservation charity Trees For Life said wild boar could benefit nature and wildlife if managed correctly.

The Scottish government said it was working with NatureScot to determine the risks posed by the species.

Wild boar are omnivores with a diet consisting mostly of roots, bulbs and seeds.

However, Steven McKenzie, the head keeper at Aberchalder and Glengarry Estate south of Fort Augustus, said he had seen wild boar attacking livestock.

  • Just because something CAN be done, it doesn’t mean it SHOULD be done.
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Absolutely agree. Wild Boar are horrible things and very dangerous.

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Wow, this gives a whole new meaning to boarrito

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I don’t agree with re-introducing wildlife after so long. The land has changed so much since they were last here. Plus its ridiculous to think the Boar are going to see the livestock and think “oh, better not touch the farmers animals” :roll_eyes:

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Haha! Minx, so funny! :joy:

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We don’t have wild boar but we do have Razorbacks (feral pigs) fortunately they are a pest and can be shot.

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haven’t they also re-introduced wild wolves into Scottish highlands too ? and would they be capable of bringing down a boar or two?

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We don’t have wolves here - yet! There is talk of them coming back, but hopefully not soon.

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I have mentioned it before but salt water crocodiles bred along the Kent coast would solve your boat people problem at a stroke and provide addition wild life spotting and tourism opportunities

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Kent would love that, I’m sure! :scream: :crocodile:

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don’t the great eagles pick off the lambs up that way?

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Yep, lambs do get taken by eagles sometimes. But they are protected, so you can’t shoot them - although people do. Basically farmers don’t want any predatory animals around their livestock, which is fair enough, but eagles have been here since forever…well, the white tailed eagle was re-introduced because it became extinct (trapping, poisoning, shooting etc).

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I read a little more on this .
Apparently one boar concerned ( which was shot ) weighted 24 stone and had escaped from a farm so was it really a feral boar ?
Lambs have a short life in any case they are slaughtered before nine months .
However I am not in favour of releasing dangerous animals into the wild there are too many people these days and I don’t want to be savaged by a wild pig or Wolf ( don’t even think about bears ) while out walking my dog .

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Blimey! 24 stone? Thats a behemoth! I know pigs are pretty huge, but I wouldn’t fancy meeting a boar while out walking.

Yes I don’t agree with it either…it all sounds lovely on paper, I’m sure, but the reality is so different. They introduced Beavers here in Scotland, then promptly began culling them to “replicate natural predation” I mean just what is the point of that?

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Crazy, Pixie. :roll_eyes:

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I agree, Muddy. :+1:
I doubt many of us would win a fight with a bear or hungry wolf!

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Did England/UK have bears? I sort of remember references to bear baiting in the middle ages but I assumed they came from foreign parts. Were bears ever native to the British Isles?

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Apparently we once did, Bruce.

Just found this snippet:

" The brown bear (Ursus arctos) was once widespread across Britain, found in the wild from Devon in southern England to Sutherland in northern Scotland."

Don’t know exactly when that was, though?

Ah, half a mo, this link is much more informative:

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What an interesting article. Thanks for that.

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yes fascinating - thanks Mups!