FOLLOWING the Forestry Commission's announcement last week about the next boar cull of 135 animals, starting in September, I am extremely worried about the welfare of these animals in the Forest. It is, of course, welcome that the Forestry Commission have now made formal what they had already implemented – a figure of 400 rather than 90 boar allowed in the Forest, decided in 2012 by Kevin Stannard and approved by the Verderers and a close season from February until August with no shooting, also effected last year. The close season will allow hoglets to be born and to have a few months with their mothers, without being hunted.

Last year's cull of 100 only reached 75 by Christmas after which time the Forestry Commission were finding boar difficult to find. For this reason, they included road kill and unexplained deaths to bring the figure to 100. The Friends of the Boar, of which I was then a member, did not agree to a cull as it was felt the number of boar in the Forest was then very low. The decision to go ahead with one was made by the Forestry Commission alone.

The Forestry Commission say that there are 535 boar in the Forest. If their initial cull figure was 250, they would have decimated the herd and, even at 135, they will reduce the numbers of boar to unacceptable levels, if the lower and more realistic figure of 350 boar, given to me by a local wildlife expert, is the real number in the Forest. Boar are very difficult to count but the Forestry Commission must be more accurate with their figures. So far, their thermal imaging strategy has not worked.

I contend that the Forestry Commission put up the unrealistic cull figure of 250, at their meeting with UKWBT, to come to a consensus of 135. The reason I think this is that they will have difficulty finding even this number of boar to kill this winter. In March to October 2011, they culled 150 animals but when I analysed their figures, under the Freedom of Information Act, I found that most of these were very young boar, including many under 1 year old.

Though I am glad that the unacceptable slaughter of young animals is to be reduced, many yearlings and some juveniles will still be killed, on an analysis of last year's figures. I personally cannot approve of an organization like UKWBT, who are supposed to care for the welfare of boar, agreeing to a cull of 135 animals. It is like the Badger Trust making a pact with the government to kill a percentage of badgers to save the rest – unbelievable! A moral line on animal welfare has been crossed and I can have no part in this. The Forestry Commission must be pleased with what they have done. The losers are the boar. Their numbers are down after the awful winter we have had and this is no time to be culling any of them.

What a place we live in – beautiful, historic and full of wildlife. The creatures of the Forest, however, face a war waged on them by an organization for whom culling is a way of life, now abetted by UKWBT. The new alliance, in my opinion, will not help the boar.

– Joyce Moss, Lydney.