Wild Boars In The Forest Of Dean (20 Viewers)

[Mike Richardson]

Only from accounts I've read to be honest, I don't have any first hand knowledge - if anyone does and can tell me I'm wrong then great!

You're not wrong unfortunately.

 

[Farnboro John]

Wild Boar became extinct in Britain in the 13th.C. At that time Britain was a very heavily wooded country. Since then vast numbers of trees have been felled to supply timber for a multiplicity of purposes. Houses, Englands 'Wooded Walls' i.e. The Royal Navy, commercial ship building, Charcoal production for the iron and steel smelting industry and for Gunpowder production, household fires, Gun carriages, etc the list could be made almost endless.

However, the point is that the Wild Boar was and still is, a forest dweller and Britain is really lacking in Broadleaf forest, very little of which has been, or is being, planted, having been taken over by Conniferous woodland, a habitat that is totally unsuitable habitat for Boar. Boar can do a lot of damage in the now restricted areas of Broadleaf forest and that can prevent regeneration of not just trees but also many flowering plants. So it's hardly surprising that they are being culled to reduce their numbers

I like wild boar but it's presence in Britain should be managed correctly. Finally a wild boar that may possibly think it is endangered can become a very vicious animal, being savaged by one is not funny at all.

Harry.

Hi Harry, haven't seen you on here for ages. Wild Boar are of course familiar sights in the coniferous woodlands of Sweden, Germany and semi-montane France and Spain. Funnily enough I saw one wandering from heather moor into a confier plantation in NW Spain last week.

Deer rather than boar are the animals that repress regeneration of broad-leaved woodland if not controlled. As for flowering plants I suggest you go and look in summer at the profusion of wild flowers on the rides of boar-inhabited East Sussex and the Forest of Dean: the turning of the soil by their snouts favours flowers over rank grasses. Also, after 20 years of their presence they have not, as predicted, eliminated bluebell carpets from these areas.

BTW you will be aware that in the New Forest pigs "have to be" released to consume the acorns that otherwise poison the ponies that also damage the understorey. A population of wild boars would deal with this and go some way to assuaging Mr Lewis and Speckled Wood's concerns about human and canine effects on wildlife by enforcing responsible dog ownership in such areas.

Boars that don't feel threatened don't attack, and ones that are not cornered (a difficult thing to achieve anyway in woodland) run away. At least all the ones I've seen did, except the couple that came to see if I had any sweeties.

I can only suggest that you should get out more and read less.

John

 

[davercox]

You're not wrong unfortunately.

OK then, again just out of curiosity, how do you know that Mike ?

 

[Mike Richardson]

OK then, again just out of curiosity, how do you know that Mike ?

I have friends in the Forest of Dean who spend a lot of time tracking and watching boar. Some of them are involved in the British Wild Boar Foundation, UK Wild Boar Trust and Friends of the Boar. All agree that the boar population has to be managed, but true numbers are way lower than the Forestry Commission estimates. In fact, the FC has admitted in the past that they have no real knowledge of how many Wild Boar actually live in the forest.

More info here

http://www.facebook.com/#!/UKWildBoarTrust?fref=ts

 

[davercox]

Thank you.

 

[ta brandreth]

Just Blogged our attempt last year;