The row over the wild boar seems to have no ending and how can it when the arguments are based more on opinions than facts. The Friends of the Boar come up with some opinions which are patently ridiculous, for example that the boar do no real damage, which discredits any of their opinions which may be true.

Why should we believe their estimate of the number of boar in the Forest which appears to be based on even less evidence than that of the Forestry Commission? It is people that live in the Forest, work in the Forest or visit it on a frequent basis all year round who actually see the damage.

The internet contains quite a lot of information from both foreign and UK sources. Wikipedia for example has a quite extensive entry which includes the warning "Although a majority of boar attack victims recover with medical treatment, fatalities do occasionally occur".

A number of websites comment to the effect that "Boars are omnivores and prey on reptiles amphibians, birds and their eggs, insects, worms, and smaller mammals, dead or alive." The degree of correlation between the various sites makes me believe that it is probably factual.

Locally it should be possible to find out how much it is costing the Forestry Commission and the Highways Authority to rectify boar damage and keep paths, cycle tracks, drainage facilities, picnic sites etcetera clear and safe. That cost is, of course, being passed on to us all.

The RSPB should also know if there is any evidence of predation of ground nesting, or other, birds and waterfowl. Maybe the RSPCA would know about small rodents as I am aware that water voles and some mice are endangered species.

It might also be sensible to start and maintain a record of how much damage is being done to private land and gardens.

In short, let us have some facts, so that a sensible compromise on what to do about boar can be agreed and implemented quickly.

In my experience decisions made on an emotive basis are usually wrong.

– Peter Herbert, Yorkley.