The Community of Madrid has activated a temporary hunting emergency to control the excess of wild boars in many areas of the region, due to the increase in traffic accidents, crop damage and the increasingly frequent presence of these animals in urban and peri-urban environments, partly due to the growth of these areas, to the detriment of local biodiversity.
The measure, officially published in the Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid last April and subsequently in the regional channels, affects some ten forest districts and 124 municipalities, including localities such as San Sebastián de los Reyes, Tres Cantos, Colmenar Viejo, Alcobendas, Algete and Paracuellos de Jarama, as well as a large part of the Sierra Norte and western metropolitan area.
The declaration of emergency, valid until 2030 although reviewable annually, responds to the fact that the average number of traffic accidents with wild boars exceeds 120 per year in the Community, with significant peaks in the areas declared as “high risk”, where the annual average is around seven incidents per region. In addition, damage to agricultural crops and the danger to people and pets have led to more aggressive and coordinated action.
What are the measures to combat wild boar overpopulation?
The main measures include the extension of the hunting season and the capture of live specimens throughout the year, the authorization of specific techniques (trap cages, anesthetic rifles, bow hunting, use of thermal scopes in controlled areas) and the reinforcement of road signs, enclosures and animal deterrent systems in the black spots of the road network. In addition, any type of wild boar repopulation in hunting lands of the Community is suspended.
The Department of the Environment offers technical advice and clear protocols to local councils on how to act in the presence of wild boars, as well as informing and training citizens on how to prevent incidents with these animals.
