Wild boars dine out in Malaga

Passers-by did not hesitate to whip out their camera phones on Monday, September 2 while strolling along the dry banks of the Guadalmedina river in Malaga.

A large family of wild boars had occupied the dry river bed in search of food. In spite of the gathering crowds of people, these normally shy creatures decided to hang around and take advantage of some mouldy vegetables and potato peelings someone had left for them. Among the group of wild hogs, were a diverse range of different ages including some clearly mature animals and baby boars.

Increased sightings of wild boar in Malaga City

This sighting has been one of various in Malaga City this year. Around 2 dozen were photographed near to Ciudad Jardín in June, and in March in El Palo in the early hours of one morning. Their presence in the big city is, while not unheard of, is becoming unusually more frequent. Outside of the city, in Mijas and Marbella for example, it’s not so rare to spot wild boars in the summer months reaching as far as the beaches.

The fear that the animals may turn in their hunger into aggression towards dogs or even people, or for that matter provoke a traffic accident, has led Malaga and Marbella councils to contract professional archers to cull the eldest males and drive the boar population back into the mountains and forests from where they originated.

Animal rights groups opposed to archers culling boars

While the stealthy archers are rarely spotted operating at night, there has been growing opposition from animal rights groups and the public in general who don’t see the increasingly emboldened creatures’ presence in the cities as a threat. The amount killed, according to the company that manages the hunts says that only around 5 animals per year, but it is enough dissuade the others from filling the cities.