Recently, incidents of wild boar attacks have frequently topped trending searches, sparking public discussions on how to effectively address the increasing number of wild boars.
On March 31, 2024, in Nanjing, wild boars were seen leisurely foraging on Meihua Mountain in Nanjing. (Visual China File Photo)
On November 19, Zhang Guoliang, Director of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Natural Resources, and Wang Guochen, Deputy Director and Director of the Provincial Forestry Bureau, participated in the live broadcast program “Zhengfeng Hotline – Let Me Help You Ask the Director” on Jiangsu media platforms. Regarding the topic of wild boars, Wang Guochen stated that according to monitoring, there are a total of 11,000 wild boars in Jiangsu Province. After wild boars were removed from the “Three-protected List” (List of Terrestrial Wild Animals with Important Ecological, Scientific, and Social Values) in 2023, local governments have allocated manpower, material resources, and funds to regulate the wild boar population. However, due to varying investments in different regions, the growth rate of wild boars in some areas still exceeds the regulatory efforts, meaning that the wild boar population continues to rise.
In Jiangsu, Nanjing has the highest exposure rate of wild boars. According to data from the Nanjing Greening and Gardening Bureau, wild boars are distributed in eight administrative districts of the city, and the overall population density of wild boars in various monitoring areas has shown an upward trend, increasing from 3.24 per square kilometer in 2021 to 4.43 per square kilometer in 2023. The standard for regulating wild boar density in southern hilly regions is 2 per square kilometer. Currently, the wild boar population in Nanjing is mainly distributed in Zijin Mountain in Xuanwu District, Laoshan in Pukou District, Wuxiang Mountain in Lishui District, and Tangshan in Jiangning District. Wild boars not only appear on city streets but also roam freely in rural farmland.
Wang Guochen said that recently, wild boars have become a hot topic of social and media attention. According to statistics from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, there are approximately 2 million wild boars nationwide. In response to this situation, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration specifically issued a document in 2021 requiring the prevention and control of wild boar attacks. In June 2023, wild boars were removed from the “Three-protected List” to facilitate the regulation of the wild boar population.
According to Wang Guochen, Jiangsu Province has also taken a series of specific measures. Firstly, strengthening population monitoring by setting up over 400 infrared cameras in areas where wild boars appear. According to monitoring, there are approximately 11,700 wild boars in the province, mainly distributed in the hilly and mountainous regions of Ningzhenyang, Wuxi, and Changzhou. Although they only account for 0.6% of the national total, due to Jiangsu’s high population density and limited land area, the overlap between wild boar habitats and human living spaces is relatively high, resulting in a higher exposure rate of wild boars. Secondly, strengthening early warning and reminders by setting up warning signs and intelligent voice reminders in mountainous forests where wild boars appear to alert people to the dangers of wild boars.
At the same time, strengthening the regulation of the population. After wild boars were removed from the “Three-protected List” in 2023, local governments have allocated manpower, material resources, and funds to regulate the wild boar population, but there are differences in regulation. In the Zijin Mountain area of Nanjing, the number of wild boars per square kilometer was approximately 9 in 2021, but through regulation, it has dropped to 4 this year, indicating a significant regulatory effect. However, due to varying investments in different regions, the growth rate of wild boars in some areas still exceeds the regulatory efforts, meaning that the wild boar population continues to rise.
Wang Guochen said that in areas with a large number and wide distribution of wild boars, Jiangsu has established insurance for wild boar attacks. The province has invested 4.32 million yuan in insurance, with a total compensation amount of 2.77 million yuan, but it has not yet achieved full coverage.
Wang Guochen stated that the next step will be to regulate the population based on complaints from the public, reduce the number of wild boars, and mitigate the harm they pose to people’s lives and property safety. At the same time, efforts will be made to increase publicity of the insurance for damages caused by wild boars, making it easier for people to obtain insurance compensation.
“Finally, I want to remind everyone not to panic when encountering wild boars, as they will not attack humans unless they feel threatened. So, when encountering wild boars, do not run away, scream, threaten, or attack them. This will reduce the safety threat,” Wang Guochen said.