‘Stop feeding wild boars’ Kraków tells locals as numbers roaming historic streets swell to over 1,000
Authorities in Kraków have appealed to the public to stop feeding wild boars as over 1,000 are now said to be roaming the city’s historic streets.
Attracted by the easy eating opportunities Poland's second largest city provides, experts say the animals can pose a threat to public health.
A task force set up to tackle Krakow's boar problem estimates that their population is now between 1,000 and 1,500 on the 33,000 hectares the city covers.
A task force set up to tackle Krakow's boar problem estimates that their population is now between 1,000 and 1,500 on the 33,000 hectares the city covers.
Since April 1, around 400 wild boars have already been put down.
Since April 1, around 400 wild boars have already been put down.
"There is a big problem in the urban agglomeration," said Jerzy Muzyk, Krakow's deputy mayor for sustainable development and chairman of the boar task force.
He added that the boars pose a threat to public health because they carry rabies and African swine fever (ASF).
Marcin Palys, a wildlife emergency veterinarian, said that one of the factors contributing to the increase in the boar population is abundant food.
"Virtually all wild boars in the city are tame," Palys said, adding that only cars and, possibly dogs, pose any threat to the animals.
"There is easy access to food," he added. "Some of these intelligent animals know where and what time waste is thrown away."
In July, Warsaw said it was to begin culling wild boar ‘to protect the public’ as sightings in the capital reached 3,000 in the first six months of 2023, compared to 2,500 reports in the whole of last year.
Following reports from residents, the town hall had installed trapping cages in three locations. Boars are lured into the traps by the smell of food, are later put down by the city authorities.
In July, Warsaw said it was to begin culling wild boar ‘to protect the public’ as sightings in the capital reached 3,000 in the first six months of 2023, compared to 2,500 reports in the whole of last year.
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