PLANS by the Forestry Commission to increase the number of rangers taking part in the annual cull of wild boar have been criticised by a wildlife group.

The Commission says the number of marksmen engaged in the cull will increase from four to six as part of the attempt to bring the boar population down to a target figure of 400 – the latest estimate puts the number at some 1,635.

But the Boaring Truth – a group describing itself as a volunteer-led group of wildlife lovers and conservationists – is unhappy at the announcement, claiming the Commission is ‘cowering in response to scaremongering by the farming industry regarding the threat of African Swine Fever’.

A Forestry Commission spokesperson said: “Our aim has been to stop the upward growth in the population of feral wild boar on the public forest estate.  Once that population growth has been checked, our intention has been to reduce that population back down towards the target figure of 400 boar. 

“In order to support the delivery of that objective, we are increasing the number of professional, experienced wildlife rangers in the Forest from four to six.

 “Our long-standing target population of 400 feral wild boar in the Forest of Dean was set in recognition of animal disease risks, and that larger feral populations bring increased disease risk. 

“We emphasise that members of the public should not feed the boar, which have plenty of food available to them in the Forest. Feeding them is not only bad for their health, it can increase the spread of disease. 

“It encourages them to return to areas and the boar can repeatedly turn over grasslands in search of the food source they remember.”

A spokesperson for the Boaring Truth said: “We are naturally disappointed by this snap decision. A decision which would appear to be cowering in response to scaremongering by the farming industry regarding the threat of African swine fever.

“DEFRA already has measures in place to protect the pork industry and have set the threat as low if these measures are adhered to.

“It will not be the wild boar passing the disease to domestic pigs.

“It will be humans bringing the disease over due to poor farming biosecurity, passing it onto the pork industry and then onto the wildlife reservoir. It is unfair to use wildlife as a scapegoat once again for poor farming practices.”

For more information on FC’s approach to wild boar in the Dean, visit www.forestryengland.uk/article/wild-boar-the-forest-dean.

The number of animals present has been estimated, since 2013, using an annual distance sampling thermal imaging survey developed to estimate deer populations.