09-01-2006, 11:27 PM
Boar hunters retrieve one animal
The boar hunt
Britain's first wild boar hunt for centuries ended with just one of 60 fugitive animals safely making it back in its pen in Devon.
The round-up was carried out by hunt members and farmers, at the request of local boar farmer Allan Dedames.
About 100 animals broke for freedom in the countryside around East and West Anstey in Devon in December after a fence was cut by animal activists.
Forty animals were retrieved before the hunt. The rest are still on the loose.
About 100 people, including members of the Dulverton Farmers' Hunt and others spent three-and-a-half hours on Wednesday scouring the area for the missing boar using hounds and quad bikes.
Before the round-up, a wild boar expert warned of possible "mayhem" if the hunters attempted to track the escaped animals.
WILD BOAR
Wild boar were hunted to extinction in Britain some 300 years ago
Small breeding population has emerged in East Sussex in last 10 years
Males can weigh up to 200kg
Boar can travel at speeds of up to 40mph
Can reach 25 years of age in captivity
Exceptional hearing and sense of smell, poor eyesight
Males grow upper and lower tusks
Very wary and shy from human contact
Dr Martin Goulding, a former Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) scientist, warned that the animals could fight back.
He told BBC Radio Four's Farming Today: "It's potentially very worrying.
"A wild boar will not cause any trouble unless it is bothered and if you go chasing it with dogs or people on quad bikes, you are annoying it.
"If you corner it, it will turn round and attack you. It will certainly attack the dogs and the hunting dogs in this country are not trained to hold a pig at bay."
Eventually, only one boar, an 18-month-old male, was flushed out about a mile (1.6km) from Mr Dedames' Woodland Wild Boar Farm.
Mr Dedames said of the single success of the day: "It is brilliant. He went straight back into his enclosure as well. He ran back totally by himself."
Hunt chairman Dennis Woollacombe said the operation had not been a success but added: "I think it was worth the effort."
He went on: "Obviously the boar were not where we were expecting them to be."
He added that the hunt would launch another search if farmers requested it.
The Animal Liberation Front said it was responsible for freeing the animals.
Mr Dedames called in the hunters after complaints from local people that they were scared of going outdoors and from farmers who said the boars were destroying crops and disrupting livestock.
Two animals have been spotted 40 miles (64km) away near Plymouth after making the journey across Dartmoor.
.....når bare man har nok penge og krudt.....så går det ikke aldrig helt galt :-)
Favourite Quote: Vi løser ikke vore problemer ved at tænke på samme måde, som da vi skabte dem.....(Albert Einstein)
The boar hunt
Britain's first wild boar hunt for centuries ended with just one of 60 fugitive animals safely making it back in its pen in Devon.
The round-up was carried out by hunt members and farmers, at the request of local boar farmer Allan Dedames.
About 100 animals broke for freedom in the countryside around East and West Anstey in Devon in December after a fence was cut by animal activists.
Forty animals were retrieved before the hunt. The rest are still on the loose.
About 100 people, including members of the Dulverton Farmers' Hunt and others spent three-and-a-half hours on Wednesday scouring the area for the missing boar using hounds and quad bikes.
Before the round-up, a wild boar expert warned of possible "mayhem" if the hunters attempted to track the escaped animals.
WILD BOAR
Wild boar were hunted to extinction in Britain some 300 years ago
Small breeding population has emerged in East Sussex in last 10 years
Males can weigh up to 200kg
Boar can travel at speeds of up to 40mph
Can reach 25 years of age in captivity
Exceptional hearing and sense of smell, poor eyesight
Males grow upper and lower tusks
Very wary and shy from human contact
Dr Martin Goulding, a former Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) scientist, warned that the animals could fight back.
He told BBC Radio Four's Farming Today: "It's potentially very worrying.
"A wild boar will not cause any trouble unless it is bothered and if you go chasing it with dogs or people on quad bikes, you are annoying it.
"If you corner it, it will turn round and attack you. It will certainly attack the dogs and the hunting dogs in this country are not trained to hold a pig at bay."
Eventually, only one boar, an 18-month-old male, was flushed out about a mile (1.6km) from Mr Dedames' Woodland Wild Boar Farm.
Mr Dedames said of the single success of the day: "It is brilliant. He went straight back into his enclosure as well. He ran back totally by himself."
Hunt chairman Dennis Woollacombe said the operation had not been a success but added: "I think it was worth the effort."
He went on: "Obviously the boar were not where we were expecting them to be."
He added that the hunt would launch another search if farmers requested it.
The Animal Liberation Front said it was responsible for freeing the animals.
Mr Dedames called in the hunters after complaints from local people that they were scared of going outdoors and from farmers who said the boars were destroying crops and disrupting livestock.
Two animals have been spotted 40 miles (64km) away near Plymouth after making the journey across Dartmoor.
.....når bare man har nok penge og krudt.....så går det ikke aldrig helt galt :-)
Favourite Quote: Vi løser ikke vore problemer ved at tænke på samme måde, som da vi skabte dem.....(Albert Einstein)
.....ualmindelig velinformeret i forhold til min alder ... :-)
Favourite Quote: En humlebi ved ikke, at den ikke kan flyve......Gå ud på terrassen og vift med armene...hvis du letter må du være uvidende ;-)
Favourite Quote: En humlebi ved ikke, at den ikke kan flyve......Gå ud på terrassen og vift med armene...hvis du letter må du være uvidende ;-)