WILD BOAR ATTACK SHAKIRA IN BARECELONA
wild boar sign in Japan Wild pigs have killed people, bears and lots of dogs that have attacked them. Zoologists have called them Germany's "most dangerous animal." There have been a surprising number of attacks in Japan and Italy, where boar meat is offered at restaurants.
In 2021, the singer Shakira said she and her son were accosted by two wild boars in a park in Barcelona and people watched the incident and didn’t “do anything” to help her. She told Glamour”“It’s just crazy!” “I was taking my son, Milan, for a walk in the park and I got him a little ice cream,” she explained. “We sat on one of those park benches and we were just minding our own business. And then two huge wild boars came from the back and ambushed [us] and took my purse! “And I was like, ‘Oh, my God! Oh, my God!’ and screaming, because they were taking it away, with my phone in it, my car keys, everything! Like they could understand me! And people were just watching and they weren’t doing anything!”[Source: Glamour, Louis Chilton, The Independent, November 2 2021]
Shakira said that the boars were after a sandwich, which she had prepared for her son. “They started digging inside my purse…obviously my son’s sandwich was inside the purse, so that’s why they were so interested. So they took the sandwich and walked away and left my purse. It was wild,” she said. In an earlier Instagram post, Shakira said she had “stood up” to the wild animals.
See Separate Article WILD BOARS factsanddetails.com
Wild Boar Kills Sicilian Man Trying to Protect His Dogs
In August 2015, a 77-year-old man was mauled to death by wild boar in an area of Sicily popular with foreign tourists. Rosie Scammell of the The Guardian wrote: “Salvatore Rinaudo was in the Cefalù countryside, close to the Sicilian capital, Palermo, with his wife and dogs when he was attacked. Rinaudo died at the scene while his wife, Rosa, sustained multiple injuries after trying to help him. “My husband put himself in the middle [of the animals] to save the dogs. At this point the boars jumped on top of him … There are no words to describe what I saw. I’m devastated,” the 73-year-old told Italian media. [Source: Rosie Scammell, The Guardian , August 9, 2015 +]
“The area around the picturesque town of Cefalù has become increasingly popular with tourists, particularly from the UK, partly because it is the setting for the Inspector Montalbano books and TV series. Following the boar attack the town’s mayor, Rosario Lapunzina, declared a day of mourning. But Simone Cecchini from Italy’s state forestry body said wild boar should not be viewed as killer animals. “Boar aren’t predators. When a boar becomes aware of a human, it runs away,” he said. “Above all these events should be evaluated based on the situation. In this case the man was not in a normal or natural situation; it seems that the boar were fighting with the dogs.” +
“Wild boar have only been in the Cefalù area for about a decade, Cecchini said, although their numbers nationally have been growing since the 1950s. They were initially brought to Italy from central Europe by hunters and, while the legal trade is decreasing, a considerable number continue to be brought into the country illegally. “This has caused accidents with cars, while also [problems] in agriculture … They eat the crops, which is why farmers are so angry,” said Cecchini. He added that given growing number of boar, a nationwide plan was now needed. “The problem is the lack of a national strategy with a technical scientific basis. There are local initiatives, but not a unique and widespread plan.” +
“Isabella Pratesi, director of conservation at wildlife charity WWF Italia, said despite the dangers hunters were keen to hold on to their valuable market. A boar could earn a poacher €500 (£350) for its meat, she said, with illegal hunts posing a serious health risk as unchecked animals can carry disease. “It’s a problem that is becoming more important in Italy and also abroad,” she said, blaming the parallel market rather than the animals for the situation. Wild boar attack humans only very rarely and when they feel threatened, Pratesi said, although warned they can be more dangerous than bears. +
Boar Kills Hunter Near Berlin
In 2008, a boar hunter was killed near Berlin. Spiegel Online reported: “The Boar War, which has been quietly raging in Germany for months, has claimed its first human victim. Late Wednesday evening in a village not far from Berlin, an enraged and hungry wild boar attacked a hunter, who then bled to death. While wild boars have been terrorizing the German countryside for centuries, in recent months their comfort zone has expanded, with city centers now also falling under their reign of destuction. This year alone, boars chased a pair of policemen onto a balcony in a suburb of Frankfurt, sent a pensioner to the emergency room in Berlin, and broke into a home improvement store before being shot to death at the checkout counter in North Rhine-Westphalia.[Source: Spiegel Online, October 10, 2008 +++]
“None of these earlier skirmishes, however, resulted in loss of non-boar life. Now the stakes are getting higher. An unlucky hunter, a married 72-year-old man from Berlin identified only as Jürgen C., was not alone when he met his untimely end. He was part of a five-man hunting party that joined forces in order to dispatch a wild beast spotted feasting on maize in a cornfield near the village of Linthe, 70 kilometers outside Berlin. +++
“At first, the hunters seemed to have the upper hand. According to 53-year-old hunting partner Ehrhard H., it was Jürgen himself who first managed to shoot the boar in one of its legs, but the creature was able to dash back into the cornfield. Then Ben, the group's hunting dog, was sent to pursue the hog, followed close behind by hunter Torsten P. This time it was the boar who scored a hit. According Ehrhard, the remaining hunters heard a cry before seeing Torsten limp back to the group with a wounded shin. +++
“At this point Jürgen, armed with 45 years of hunting experience, decided he would launch his own pursuit. "It was getting dark and we didn't even realize that Jürgen had gone back into the field," Ehrhard told the German tabloid Bild. "Then suddenly we heard a scream for help." But by the time Jürgen's friends found him, he was lying on the ground bleeding heavily from his knee. They called an ambulance but it was too late. The boar warrior had punctured a major artery and the 72-year-old sportsman bled to death. The hunting party ultimately found the boar and shot it. The corpse of the murderous beast is now being kept in a refrigeration room not far from the scene of its struggle.” +++
Wild Boar Attacks Dog in England
In April 2014, wild boar jumped out on the walkers in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire and attacked a dog that was left severely injured. Adrian Hearn wrote in The Mirror, “A couple were out walking along a footpath with their Springer Spaniel when the powerful animal appeared from the undergrowth. It charged at the family pet, breaking its leg and leaving it with other “severe” injuries before trying to attack the woman. The lady’s husband managed to fight the boar off by using the branch from a tree. The terrifying incident took place on Aylburton Common, which is part of the Lydney Park Estate in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. [Source: Adrian Hearn, The Mirror, April 10, 2015 -]
“In recent years the number of wild boars has rocketed from 300 to 800. The gamekeeper for Lydney Park Estate believes the aggression was from a female boar which has a young family she is trying to protect. Officers from Gloucestershire Police today advised all walkers to take care when walking on the estate and to ensure their dogs are kept well under control. The attack follows reports that wild boar roaming the area are becoming more aggressive - and hunting newborn lambs in packs. -\
“About 800 of the feral animals roam the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire and usually only feed on carcasses and vegetation. But now the first documented cases of the animals killing in packs have emerged, with five lambs reportedly hunted down and slain in recent weeks. The Forestry Commission has received reports of groups of boar surrounding newborn lambs before trampling and eating them. Locals are thought to be fighting back against the animals. Last month a boar was found with an arrow in its leg. Police said the injured boar could have been targeted by an angry local farmer or by an illegal hunter.” -\
Wild Boars Raise Havoc in Bavaria and Austria
In November 2006, Der Spiegel reported: “A troop of up to 15 wild boars invaded this town of about 10,000 near Wurzburg in southern Germany after being chased from a nearby cemetery by hunters. Once in the town center, they rampaged into shops, bit several people and knocked a woman off of a bicycle. One of the boars broke into a gift shop where it knocked over and destroyed thousands of dollars worth of goods, and drove the shopkeeper into the rear where she had to call police. [Source: Spiegel web site, November 25, 2006]
“Police shot three of the large animals, according to various wire reports. Another was hit by a car. The remaining boars eventually fled across a river out of town. Boars are becoming more common in the area, and like to feed on the corn grown locally. Britain's The Independent claims this incident may be one of the most devastating attacks by wild boars on record.”
In July, 2011, The Guardian reported: “Residents of a posh district in Vienna are up in arms over wild boars invading their homes. The animals have been scouring the back gardens of houses in Döbling for months. Now local Social Democrats (SPÖ), People’s Party (ÖVP) officials and representatives of the Döbling branch of the Freedom Party (FPÖ) decided to show unusual unity to solve the matter. The factions drafted a resolution in favour of more hunting activities in the region which is close to the Vienna Woods. The parties called on Viennese SPÖ Environment Councillor Ulli Sima to take action. [Source: The Guardian, July 7, 2011 /=/]
“Sima’s office reacted by referring the district’s politicians to hunting authorities – who point out that the demanded usage of night vision devices was prohibited. They suggested to increase hunts at full moon and warned that many pets could be injured if they followed the appeals of many people to set up more traps in Döbling. /=/
“Tenants of Döbling – who claim they have been plagued by the boars for months – were also ordered to improve their fences to keep the animals away from organic waste collection bins and garden sheds. Citizens of several cities across continental Europe including German capital Berlin have complained about similar issues with wild boars before. Döbling’s traditional wine taverns attract tourists from all over the world. The district’s property prices are only matched by Vienna’s city centre and Tyrolean winter sport hotspot Kitzbühel.” /=/
Wild Boar Attacks in Asia
Wild pigs have killed people, bears and lots of dogs that have attacked them. In September 2011, the Indian Express reported that a wild boar attacked people in Mudiger in n the Indian state of Karnataka. “A huge tall single-horned wild boar appeared in the town at 10 am and injured passers-by before fleeing. The town usually witnesses a mad rush of people on Monday when the attack occurred. The boar that appeared before V R L Lorry Transport office on J M road, injuring milkwoman Ganganamakki Sarojamma. When she started screaming, V R L office boy Kiran came to rescue her but, in the attempt, he was also attacked. People assembled and tried to scare the animal. The alarmed boar ran along M G road and was seen at Azad road. On a running spree, it attacked an old woman and threw her into the gutter nearby. It hurt a bike rider coming on the road. Later, it fled the scene through Santhe Maidan. Range Forest Officer Harshavardhan visited M G M Hospital where the injured were being treated and assured of providing medical expenses to them. ACFO Srinivasa Reddy said the wild boar would be left into the forest. [Source: Express News Service, September 13, 2011]
In November 2011, the Borneo Post reported a wild boar attacked an elderly man in Pendang in the Kedah district of Malaysia: “An elderly man has been hospitalised due to severe injuries he suffered from an attack by a wild boar behind his house at Kampung Pokok Tai Lama, near here, early yesterday. In the incident at about1am, the victim, Nordi Said, 51, heard a noise from outside of his house then scouted it out as he thought it was villager’s sheep that normally roamed around his house. Members of the Civil Defence Department (JPAM) sent him to the Yan hospital at around2ambefore he was rushed to the Sultan Abdul Hospital Halim in Sungai Petani due of his critical condition. [Source: Borneo Post, November 27, 2011]
Nordi’s brother Jaafar Said, 37, who lived near his home, said he knew about the incident when his sister-in-law sought his help. “My sister-in-law came to my house to tell about the incident. When I arrived at the scene, I saw the boar was still attacking and biting my brother,” he told Bernama. Jaafar said he took about 10 minutes to chase out the animal with a steel hanger. “When I tried to chase it out, it attacked me. When I ran, the boar turned around and attacked my brother. I fought it and finally it released my brother and ran into a nearby forest,” he said, describing the animal as huge. He said the doctor informed him that his brother had suffered internal bleeding in the chest and that he was still unconscious in the emergency ward.
In April 2012, the New Straits Times reported that a woman was attacked by a wild boar in Kota Baru. Malaysia: “Rubiah Samad, 54, was with two relatives when the incident happened at 9.30am. The mother of eight suffered injuries on her left leg and sought outpatient treatment at Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in Kota Baru. Recalling the incident, Rubiah said she was busy collecting the mushrooms at about 100 meters from her house when she spotted a wild boar appearing out of nowhere. The animal behaved aggressively and started to go near one of her relatives, Pak Husin. She said the wild boar was medium-sized and its height reached her waist. "From the distance, I saw Pak Husin waving a parang to defend himself and his wife. "He managed to frighten it and it fled. Unfortunately, it reappeared later and started to attack me," she said. After attacking and biting her, the wild boar ran off. [Source: New Straits Times, April 5, 2012]
Man Killed, Nine Injured in Wild Boar Attack in India
In March 2015, a man died and nine others sustained injuries in a wild boar attack near Koodaranji near Kozhikode (Calicut) in southern India. The Indian Express News Service reported: “The deceased has been identified as Keelath Abdul Salam, 50, alias Abdu, a farmer and a resident of Kalpur. The wild boar was later shot dead with the help of the local residents. According to the police, the wild boar attacked Abdul Salam at his farm land, around 9 am. Though he was rushed to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, he succumbed to injuries, the officials said. The injured - Haseena, Vasu, Lalitha, Kunjumon, Sabu, Abu, Najeed and Abdullah - have been admitted to the hospital and their condition has been reported to be not serious. [Source: Indian Express News Service, March 7, 2015]
“Eye-witnesses said the animal first attacked Haseena on a road and later went on the rampage, attacking Abdul Salam and others. Later, the boar was shot dead. “We received a call informing us of a wild boar attack at Karassery, bordering Mukkam and Thiruvambadi panchayats. We rushed to the spot and the animal was shot dead by a local resident using his licensed gun, by around 11 am,” said Thiruvambadi Sub-Inspector P E Kunhahammed Kutty.
“Meanwhile, the forest officials with the Thamarassery range said the carcass of the boar was taken to the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookkode, Wayanad, for postmortem. “In normal cases there is no need to conduct a postmortem after an animal is shot dead for causing human loss and damage. In this case, it is suspected that the wild boar was rabid. We do not want to take any chances and have decided to conduct the postmortem examination,” the official added. Sources said the next of kin of the deceased would be given Rs 5 lakh as compensation by the state government. Top police and forest department officials also visited the place.”
In September 2011, the Indian Express reported that a wild boar attacked people in Mudiger in n the Indian state of Karnataka. “A huge tall single-horned wild boar appeared in the town at 10 am and injured passers-by before fleeing. The town usually witnesses a mad rush of people when the attack occurred. The boar that appeared before V R L Lorry Transport office on J M road, injuring milkwoman Ganganamakki Sarojamma. When she started screaming, V R L office boy Kiran came to rescue her but, in the attempt, he was also attacked. People assembled and tried to scare the animal. The alarmed boar ran along M G road and was seen at Azad road. On a running spree, it attacked an old woman and threw her into the gutter nearby. It hurt a bike rider coming on the road. Later, it fled the scene through Santhe Maidan. Range Forest Officer Harshavardhan visited M G M Hospital where the injured were being treated and assured of providing medical expenses to them. ACFO Srinivasa Reddy said the wild boar would be left into the forest. [Source: Express News Service, September 13, 2011]
Wild Boar Attacks in Japan
February 2002, the Mainichi Shimbun reported: “A wild boar attacked and seriously wounded an elderly woman in a residential area before a man drove the animal away by running into it with his car, police said. The elderly woman, 73, came across the boar, more than 1 meter in length, on a street near her home in Kitakyushu's Moji-ku. The animal attacked her left leg, causing injuries that required a major operation. The woman fell to the ground and the boar was about to strike again when a passerby drove his car into the animal, pushing it away. Shortly before or after attacking the elderly woman, the boar slightly injured a 27-year-old woman and her 4-year-old daughter. About 30 minutes later junior high school students spotted the boar heading back to the mountains, Moji Police Station officials said. They said local residents often see wild boars in the mountains but rarely spot them in town. [Source: Mainichi Shimbun, February 10, 2002]
In January 2007, four people were attacked by boars and slightly hurt in Ehime Prefecture. A 69-year-old woman was knocked down and three other people were hurt in one 15 minute period in one area. Police think that several different boars were involved.
In April 2008, a wild boar went on a rampage in Kashiwara, Osaka Prefecture, injuring five people. The boar charged a woman on a bicycle and knocked her down and then ran into a kindergarten, injuring three adults there, and injured another woman when it was emerged. Three hours later, the boar — a male weighing 80 kilograms that is believed to have come down from a nearby mountain — was found dead on a sandbar in a river.
July 2015, Japan Today reported: Three men were attacked by a wild boar while they were walking in a public park in Arita, Saga Prefecture. According to police, the three men who ranged in age from 60 to 80, sustained injuries to their ankles and thighs after being attacked in separate incidents by a wild boar between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., Sankei Shimbun reported. Park rangers mobilized a hunting party which shot the boar about four hours later. [Source: Japan Today, July 15, 2015]
See Separate Article WILD BOARS AND WILD BOAR ATTACKS IN JAPAN factsanddetails.com
Wild Boar Attacks California Woman Walking Her Dogs
In November 2014, a wild boar gored a woman several times as she was walking with her dogs in Solano County near San Francisco. Fox News 40 reported: “The woman is still being treated for her injuries. She was walking her two dogs in the Gordon Valley area, when the boar attacked for apparently no reason. "It come from behind and just knocked her down. And she kinda yelled and screamed,"Linda Bushey, who is neighbors with the woman, said. [Source: Rowena Shaddox, Fox 40 News, November 19, 2014 ^^]
“After the initial attack, the woman thought the wild animal was leaving and tried to stand up. But the boar came back at her. Its razor sharp tusks cut the woman three times, injuring her legs and arm. She grabbed her two dogs. "Held on to them and stayed hunkered down real quiet and he finally left," rancher Tim Wellman said. She reported the attack to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who are still investigating the incident. ^^
“Lt. Patrick Foy with the department says this could be the first unprovoked attack of a wild boar in California's history. A team of three, including Wellman, hunted down the boar. "Reached over the pig, and I got rid of Grover out of the way, and I just shot straight down through the neck with a pistol," Wellman said. He said the boar was unmistakable, with a distinguishing trait. "He left one big foot track, because it was three-legged, that foot had grown huge," Wellman added. They believe they have eliminated the threat of a future attack.” ^^
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Last updated May 2016