I have now encountered a big, fast Wild Boar running past myself and my two dogs.

Do any of you meet Wild Boar when walking, and, if so, what advice do you offer to people meeting them ?

They seem to have just arrived in this area.

Opinions/advice welcome

A friend of mine was directed to this site - Wild Boar in Britain - when she enquired about holidays and walking with her dog in the Forest of Dean

I don't have any direct experience but after reading the site I'd probably be careful which of my dogs I walked with, and how many I'd take at one time.  I'd also steer clear of the area during mating season (territorial boys I'd imagine) and when sows have young...

An interesting topic - where are you?

We don't have any here but when walking in woods where there may be deer, I put bells on mine. Falconry bells are great and designed to be heard from a distance. Mine have the large size normally used on large owls or eagles.

Blimey just looked at that site. I had no idea they are so bold! Having read that, I'd be avoiding areas where they're known to be.

>but after reading the site I'd probably be careful which of my dogs I walked with

One of the vets that I work with comes from the Forest of Dean.   He actually went home for his camera one Sunday lunch time when he met one in the car park of the pub.  True story. 

I would never go there again, very dangerous animal in wild like that

I would avoid the place, they are big, quicker than you would think, and pretty bold.  At least one of my dogs would want to chase after them but has no catch or kill drive so she would be left high and dry when she caught up!

As I expect you have read in the Forest review newspaper  the wild boar  will protect their young and have damaged dogs . The Forest is not fun to walk in now , cyclists , quad bike riders  etc , some of whom are quite abusive if the dogs dare to be on the pathways .

I must admit I'd always thought wild boar were a truly fearsome animal and capable of killing people let alone dogs- weren't they much respected as quarry in days of yore, and are they not still on the continent? Mind you, I wonder if these wild boar are a totally wild strain or are they hybrids- hasn't there been interbreeding with domestic pigs- so perhaps not quite so fierce. Or have I got this all wrong?

I supose i better mention about red deer in Richmond, whilst this on, I dont go there much but at least 2 labs have been killed by them this year, with hols on its just the place holiday makers would take their dogs, to look at the lovely little bambies

I remember 'Old Yella', was he not killed by a wild boar?!

Nope - he was killed by rabies.  Actually I think he was killed by the little boy's father because he had rabies . . .

did he not get rabies from the boar?

he got hydrophobia(rabies) from a loafer wolf who attacked him so they had to
shoot him. isnt google wonderful!

Well at the risk of being boring....are they incredibly dangerous or not, and are these New Foresters totally wild or hybrids? Does anyone know?

The wild boar in our woods are often farmed recreations, not the originals; they were true killers, but these should still be avoided.

British wild boar info.

> are they incredibly dangerous or not, and are these New Foresters totally wild or hybrids? Does anyone know?

Don't like the sound of them whatever - even farmed pigs can be iffy, so I'd err on the side of caution and avoid the area.

> even farmed pigs can be iffy

Indeed. I would be treating any large pig creature with respect.

Yowzer.  We have black bears, coyotes and apparently some rattlesnake sightings.  Think I'll be happy with them and glad we don't have wild boar.  Till the game farm ones get loose and go feral that is.  I think I saw that show, or part of it.  Scary.

We have wild boar here in Spain aswell.  Have not seen them when out walking the dogs in the early mornings but have heard them at night.  Only one I have seen came down onto the road and was hit by the car two in front of us, it was massive. I know for a fact if we came across them my boys would give chase.  There were also a couple of wolves shot a few miles from us last year.