A dog walker was assaulted by a wild boar at a protected beauty spot on Dartmoor. Richard Blight found himself under attack from the large creature while walking his cocker spaniel, Bailey.
The animal struck the seven year old dog, knocking him over before pursuing him along a path. Retired gas engineer Richard, 62, estimated that the tusked boar, which was significantly larger than his dog, weighed around 180lb (12 stone).
The incident occurred near Poundsgate on Dartmoor. Richard, who resides in nearby Ashburton and has been a daily visitor to Dartmoor throughout his life, is concerned about the potential damage the wild boar could cause.
He recounted: “I thought I glimpsed a wild boar near some gorse bushes while out with Bailey so I went to take a look and saw the ground had been grubbed up. I got my phone to take a picture and a second boar charged out from the gorse – smacking Bailey right off his feet.Bailey got up and flew past me with the boar hot on his heels. I was thinking, ‘God, what is going on’ and then Bailey reappeared with a boar just behind. I aimed a kick at it but thankfully missed because I would probably have broken my foot.
“I thought I glimpsed a wild boar near some gorse bushes while out with Bailey so I went to take a look and saw the ground had been grubbed up. I got my phone to take a picture and a second boar charged out from the gorse – smacking Bailey right off his feet.Bailey got up and flew past me with the boar hot on his heels. I was thinking, ‘God, what is going on’ and then Bailey reappeared with a boar just behind. I aimed a kick at it but thankfully missed because I would probably have broken my foot,” reports Devon Live.
After escaping from the boar, Bailey returned to Richard, who said: “He was quivering and shaking. I decided to leave straight away and went back to the car. Bailey was very subdued for the next day or so but he’s OK.”
The resurgence of the wild boar, believed to be part of a group spotted in a video by a member of Bespoke Engaging Education Services earlier in February, has sparked concerns after their numbers have grown to an estimated 3,000 due to illegal releases. Following the recent culling of eight boars in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park, there is increasing disquiet over their presence.
The Forest of Dean has become notorious for boar sightings, but Dartmoor had so far escaped such intrusions.
Richard warned: “I dread to think what would happen if a child were to come face to face with a boar on a path. Before this happened I would have said properly managed boar wouldn’t be a problem on Dartmoor. But not now. This is a national park and it can get very busy, especially in summer.”
He expressed further unease about potential encounters, saying: “The consequences could be terrible. I don’t think they’ve been there very long, going by the amount of fresh damage. It’s also worth pointing out that this is on a public bridleway. There’s not exactly a lot of room for wild boar to share with all the other users of The Two Moors Way in that area.”
In a frank condemnation of those responsible for the release, Richard commented: “Whoever released them is a bloody moron. It’s been reported to Dartmoor National Park who were not aware of any boar in that area yet knew of reports of them appearing suddenly on the moors.”
Speaking on the matter, a Dartmoor National Park Authority spokesperson stated: “We’ve received reports of wild boar sightings on Dartmoor. We’re working closely with landowners and other agencies to obtain further information and guidance.”
Devon Wildlife Trust has made a statement saying: “We are aware of reports of boar on Dartmoor National Park and will be working with the Dartmoor National Park Authority and others over the coming weeks to understand more about their presence.”