THERE are fears that the wild boar population is “out of control” in the Highlands.
Thousands of feral pigs roam around the Great Glen – 80 miles of lochs and rivers from Glencoe and Fort William to Inverness – although a number of farmers told the Press and Journal the animals were approaching the city.
However, government body NatureScot has said the numbers are in the “low thousands,” but locals believe it is closer to the 5000 mark.
Gamekeeper Robert Sanderson of Highland Deer Management believes the population is “out of control,” telling the Press and Journal: “The numbers of wild boar are growing and growing.
“We are at the point with their population that it is becoming unmanageable. They got out of the box, and they have been breeding.
“I don’t know if we can ever get them back in the box. I have had reports of evidence of them at Dochfour and at least three wild boar in Torvean Quarry.
“Because they are quite secretive animals, it is really important to see the evidence. They are up at Contin and Alness, and they are all the way down the Dores side of Loch Ness.
“They will go everywhere and anywhere with tree coverage and fresh vegetation.”
Catherine Mclennan, who farms 100 acres of land above the A82, said there were “dozens” on her land and described them as the “real Loch Ness monsters,” some of which were the “size of a small car”.
A spokesperson for NatureScot said they were unaware of reports of wild boar being near Inverness.
“In Scotland, there are at least four separate breeding populations of feral pigs, located in the Great Glen, Lochaber, Dumfries and Galloway and Ross-shire,” they said.
“Wild boar can interbreed with domestic pigs, and we believe many illegally released pigs in Scotland are hybrids between wild boar and domestic pigs or breeds of hairy pig.
“NatureScot and Forest and Land Scotland have developed best practice advice to guide land managers in controlling feral pig populations safely and humanely.
“A licence is not required, as feral pigs are not a protected species.”
