Busan struggles with repeated wild boar sightings

Calls grow to lift restrictions on using hunting dogs to capture wild boars

A wild boar shot in the garden of a restaurant in Geumjeong-gu, Busan, after injuring two people in the underground parking lot of a nearby apartment complex on Saturday afternoon (Yonhap)

A wild boar injured two people after entering an apartment complex in Busan, news reports said Sunday, the latest in a series of boar attacks and sightings that has residents on edge in South Korea's second-most populated city.

According to fire authorities and police, the 120-kilogram animal appeared around 2:15 p.m. Saturday in an underground parking area of the complex in Cheongnyong-dong, Geumjeong-gu.

An 80-year-old woman who was rammed by the boar was taken to a hospital with cuts on her face and the back of her head, while a male security guard in his 60s sustained abrasions on his right leg. Their injuries were serious but not life-threatening, officials said.

The boar was found about an hour later in the garden of a nearby restaurant, where it was shot and killed by a licensed hunter.

Officials say a combination of shrinking forest habitats and seasonal food shortages is pushing the animals out of the mountains and into residential areas.

As of Nov. 19, Busan had reported a total of 628 wild boar sightings filed with police, fire authorities and other agencies this year, according to the city government.

Three boars appeared at Busan Children’s Grand Park on Oct. 10, while seven others were spotted on a park trail in Haeundae District later that month. In January, a boar was seen walking along the railway tracks between Guseo and Dusil stations, underscoring how often the animals now stray into public areas.

Despite the increasing number of wild boar sightings, capturing the animals has become more difficult since 2023, when the city government banned the use of hunting dogs in capture operations due to concerns over the spread of African swine fever.

After the first case of ASF in a wild boar was confirmed in Geumjeong-gu in December 2023, the virus spread to Sasang-gu in January last year.

Officials warn that if a hunting dog attacks an infected boar, the virus can remain on the dog's fur or claws and potentially spread to other wild boars or to pigs raised on farms.

Currently, when a wild boar sighting is reported, police officers and licensed hunters are dispatched to the site without hunting dogs. They stay hidden until a boar shows up, then move in to capture it.

Calls for relaxing the current restriction on wild boar capture efforts are growing as wild boar sightings continue to threaten public safety.

“Hunting dogs can quickly trace scent and tracks, making them far more effective at locating boars that are hiding. When people approach directly, the risk of being attacked is much higher. Using hunting dogs is the most effective method when a wild boar appears," said Choi In-bong, head of the Busan Wildlife Protection Association.

“With no effective alternatives for capturing them, public anxiety continues to rise, especially as wild boars are now frequently appearing in apartment complexes and parks."

The number of wild boars captured in the city has fallen sharply from 803 in 2023 to 273 last year, with just 338 recorded as of Nov. 19, data showed.