Wild boar avoid Central Switzerland

150 years ago, there were no wild boar left in Switzerland.

Due to large-scale deforestation and overexploitation of forests in the 19th century, as well as unrestricted popular hunting, the animals disappeared across Europe. In the 20th century, wild boar reclaimed large parts of their original range.

The wild boar is back

In Switzerland, wild boar today once again inhabit parts of Ticino and the Rhone Valley, and have spread considerably, particularly along the Jura arc and across the Mittelland. As a result of human activities in nature, especially hobby hunting, wild boar have adapted, becoming largely nocturnal and often retreating into thickets and forests due to disturbance.

The hunting statistics show that the number of animals shot over the past ten years has been at least 6’000 animals nationwide, with record figures of nearly 13’000 kills reached in 2019 and 2021.

Population growing, but not everywhere

The wild boar population has grown, but only in areas already inhabited by the species. It is virtually impossible to observe wild boar colonising new areas such as Central Switzerland.

Problematic hobby hunting

Today's hobby hunting destroys the normal social structures of wildlife and leads to increased migration into unhunted residential areas. Hobby hunting fails as a means of population control.

A trained wildlife warden in the canton of Geneva requires only a fraction of the time of a hobby hunter and is also a better marksman. Wildlife wardens also do not organise cruel driven hunts and battues with baying hunting dogs.