In Catalonia there is a current population of around 200,000 wild boars. This is a figure that has multiplied in recent decades, as can be seen from the number of wild boars hunted in raids: it has gone from almost 6,500 in 1991, to almost 60,000 in 2021.
22 years ago in the Parc del Garraf near Sitges there were three wild boars per square mile. Now there are almost six.
The disappearance of the wolf, the wild boar’s natural predator, the proximity to urban areas where they find new sources of food, or the crossing with domestic pigs, which increases their reproduction, are some of the causes – all produced by human actions – which have led to the increase in numbers.
And this increase in the wild boar population is wreaking havoc in many areas that did not occur before. This is the case for traffic accidents or damage to agricultural production, especially vineyards. This has now led to the idea that hunting has been considered one of the most effective solutions by some sectors, although it is opposed by others.
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