A dog walker was attacked by a wild boar on Dartmoor, prompting worries about public safety in the national park.
The boar hit Bailey, Richard’s seven-year-old cocker spaniel, knocking him over. Then it chased Bailey down a path. Richard, a 62-year-old retired gas engineer, said the boar was much bigger than Bailey, twice his size, and estimated it weighed around 180 pounds.
This attack occurred near Poundsgate, on Dartmoor. Richard, who lives in nearby Ashburton and walks on Dartmoor every day, now worries about the wild boar and the problems they could cause in the area.
Richard saw a boar near bushes and wanted a closer look, noticing the ground was dug up. He got his phone to take a picture, then another boar charged out, knocking Bailey off his feet. Bailey got up quickly and ran past Richard with the boar chasing closely behind. Richard, very surprised, tried to kick it, but he missed.
Bailey escaped from the boar and came back to Richard, shaking and scared. Richard decided to leave immediately, and they went back to their car. Bailey was quiet the next day but is now doing okay.
Someone likely released the boars illegally, since wild boars died out in Britain centuries ago. Illegal releases made their numbers increase. Now, there are almost 3,000 wild boars, and recent reports show eight boar were killed in Scotland. These boars were caught in the Cairngorms National Park. While the Forest of Dean has many wild boars, Dartmoor has never had a boar population.
Richard fears for children’s safety, saying a child could easily encounter a boar. He used to think boars were manageable, but now disagrees after this incident, noting that Dartmoor is a busy national park. He thinks the consequences could be bad. He noticed fresh damage in the area, suggesting they are new to Dartmoor and that the attack happened on a narrow public path shared by too many users.
Richard thinks their release was foolish. He reported it to Dartmoor National Park, who knew about other boar sightings but not in that area. A Dartmoor National Park spokesperson confirmed the reports, stating they are working with landowners to gather more information and seek guidance. Devon Wildlife Trust is also aware of these reports and will work with the Dartmoor park to learn more about the boars’ presence.