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Galicia Estimates 82,000 Wild Boar, Launches Fast-Track Controls for March–June

The environment chief presses for a national census following veterinary warnings over rising incursions into farms and peri-urban zones.

Overview

  • An official population estimate places Galicia’s wild boar at 75,300–95,600 animals, averaging 2.77 per km², among the highest densities reported in Europe.
  • The figure is a modeled estimate rather than a census, derived from about 19,000 captures in the 2024–2025 hunting season and extraction-rate calculations, plus areas outside hunting grounds.
  • From March 1 to June 30, the Xunta will expedite authorizations for control actions with 24-hour notice on business days and 48 hours on non-business days.
  • Immediate measures can include battidas with weapons or in deterrent mode, night waits, restrained-dog drives, and the installation of cage-traps in designated areas.
  • About 150 boar have been captured with cage-traps since their 2023 rollout, and the region will buy larger cages for municipalities while ending the prior emergency regime that covered up to 83% of Galicia.