AXARQUIA NEWS: Nerja residents left stunned after wild boars 'tour' the town centre

Wild boards invaded the Balcón de Europa in Nerja, as the drought in Southern Spain keeps forcing animals into town centres. The presence of these wild animals in urban centres has become a frequent problem, as water scarcity continues to plague the Costa del Sol.

In municipalities like Mijas, Benalmadena, Torremolinos or Rincon de la Victoria, wild boars have become a common sighting. The animals have been causing considerable damage to golf courses and residential gardens.
In Nerja, the city centre lived an evening of excitement as a group of these animals toured the emblematic Balcón de Europa and several surrounding streets. Videos taken of the unusual tourists have been widely shared on social media. The boars ran through the town centre until finally returning to an uninhabited area.
The lack of rain forces them to look for food and drink among rubbish containers and tips. Sometimes, they can turn aggressive and attack nearby humans. In 2012, a Frigiliana resident was attacked by a wild boar while he was walking his dog.
The wildlife park in La Axarquia attends several similar cases per year. Vets use tranquiliser guns to capture them and return them to their natural habitat.