Editing Wild boar (section)

== Relationships with humans ==
=== In culture ===
[[File:Altamira paintings 01.jpg|thumb|[[Upper Paleolithic]] [[cave painting]], [[Cave of Altamira|Altamira]], Spain. This is a modern interpretation of one of the earliest known depictions of the species.<ref name="cabanau63">{{Harvnb|Cabanau|2001|p=63}}</ref>]]
[[File:PELSO.png|thumb|Depiction of wild boars at [[Lake Balaton]] on silver dish (part of the 4th century [[Sevso Treasure]])]]
[[File:Luumäki.vaakuna.svg|thumb|upright|The head of a wild boar on the left side of the coat of arms of [[Luumäki]], Finland. A wild boar refers to the [[Svinhufvud (family)|family]] of [[President of Finland|President]] [[P. E. Svinhufvud]] from Luumäki (''Svinhufvud'' literally means the "swine head").<ref>{{cite news|title=Finland: Wet Threats|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=14 December 1931}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Suomen kunnallisvaakunat |publisher=Suomen Kunnallisliitto |year=1982 |page=145 |isbn=951-773-085-3 |language=fi}}</ref>]]

The wild boar features prominently in the cultures of [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] people, many of which saw the animal as embodying warrior virtues.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Beresnevičius |first=Gintaras |title=Aisčių mater deum klausimu |trans-title=On the question of Mater Deum of the Aisčiai |language=Lithuanian |journal=Liaudies kultūra |date=2006 |number=2 |page=6 |issn=0236-0551 |url=https://www.lituanistika.lt/content/4244 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206065216/https://www.lituanistika.lt/content/4244 |archive-date=6 February 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Cultures throughout Europe and Asia Minor saw the killing of a boar as proof of one's valor and strength. [[Neolithic]] [[hunter gatherers]] depicted reliefs of ferocious wild boars on their temple pillars at [[Göbekli Tepe]] some 11,600 years ago.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Charles C. |last=Mann |url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/gobekli-tepe/mann-text |title=Göbekli Tepe: The Birth of Religion |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318190622/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/gobekli-tepe/mann-text |archive-date=18 March 2012 |magazine=National Geographic |date=June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=Sandra |last=Scham |url=http://archive.archaeology.org/0811/abstracts/turkey.html |title=The World's First Temple |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808174031/http://archive.archaeology.org/0811/abstracts/turkey.html |archive-date=8 August 2017 |journal=Archaeology |volume=61 |number=6 |date=2008}}</ref> Virtually all heroes in [[Greek mythology]] fight or kill a boar at one point. The [[demigod]] [[Herakles]]' [[Labours of Hercules|third labour]] involves the capture of the [[Erymanthian Boar]], [[Theseus]] slays the wild sow [[Crommyonian Sow|Phaea]], and a disguised [[Odysseus]] is recognised by his handmaiden [[Eurycleia]] by the scars inflicted on him by a boar during a hunt in his youth.<ref name=mallory1997>{{cite book |last1=Mallory |first1=J. P. |last2=Adams |first2=D. Q. |date=1997 |title=Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture |publisher=Taylor & Francis |pages=426–428 |isbn=1-884964-98-2}}</ref> To the mythical [[Hyperborea]]ns, the boar represented spiritual authority.<ref name="cabanau63" /> Several Greek myths use the boar as a symbol of darkness, death and winter.<ref>{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Evans Lansing |date=1997 |title=The Hero Journey in Literature: Parables of Poesis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e6ujnlUsMFgC&pg=PA254 |publisher=[[University Press of America]] |pages=253–254 |isbn=978-0-761-80509-0 |access-date=18 January 2022 |archive-date=5 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305145157/https://books.google.com/books?id=e6ujnlUsMFgC&pg=PA254 |url-status=live }}</ref> One example is the story of the youthful [[Adonis]], who is killed by a boar and is permitted by [[Zeus]] to depart from [[Greek underworld|Hades]] only during the spring and summer period. This theme also occurs in [[Irish mythology|Irish]] and [[Egyptian mythology]], where the animal is explicitly linked to the month of October, therefore autumn. This association likely arose from aspects of the boar's actual nature. Its dark colour was linked to the night, while its solitary habits, proclivity to consume crops and nocturnal nature were associated with evil.<ref name="scheggi14">{{Harvnb|Scheggi|1999|pp=14–15}}</ref> The [[Origin myth|foundation myth]] of [[Ephesus]] has the city being built over the site where Prince Androklos of [[Athens]] killed a boar.<ref name="scheggi16">{{Harvnb|Scheggi|1999|pp=16}}</ref> Boars were frequently depicted on Greek funerary monuments alongside [[lion]]s, representing gallant losers who have finally met their match, as opposed to victorious hunters as lions are. The theme of the doomed, yet valorous boar warrior also occurred in [[Hittites|Hittite]] culture, where it was traditional to sacrifice a boar alongside a dog and a prisoner of war after a military defeat.<ref name=mallory1997 />

[[File:Clan member crest badge - Clan Campbell.svg|thumb|left|The head of wild boar is prominent in the [[Crest (heraldry)|crest]] of the [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[Clan Campbell]]. ]]
[[File:WLA lacma Varaha the Boar Avatar of Vishnu Mathura.jpg|thumb|left|3rd century sandstone Varaha sculpture from [[Mathura]], depicting the Hindu boar god [[Varaha]] rescuing the earth, depicted as a goddess dangling from his tusks.]]
The boar as a warrior also appears in [[Germanic peoples|Germanic cultures]], with its image having been frequently engraved on shields and swords. They also feature on [[Germanic boar helmets]], such as the [[Benty Grange helmet]], where it was believed to offer protection to the wearer and has been theorised to have been used in spiritual transformations into swine, similar to [[berserkers]]. The boar features heavily in religious practice in [[Germanic paganism]] where it is closely associated with [[Freyr]] and has also been suggested to have been a totemic animal to the Swedes, especially to the [[Yngling|Yngling royal dynasty]] who claimed descent from the god.<ref name="Kovářová">{{cite journal |last1=Kovářová |first1=L. |title=The Swine in Old Nordic Religion and Worldview |journal=Háskóla Íslands |date=2011 |s2cid=154250096}}</ref>

According to [[Tacitus]], the [[Baltic people|Baltic]] [[Aesti]] featured boars on their helmets and may have also worn boar masks. The boar and pig were held in particularly high esteem by the [[Celts]], who considered them to be their most important sacred animal. Some [[Celtic deities]] linked to boars include [[Moccus]] and [[Veteris]]. It has been suggested that some early myths surrounding the Welsh hero [[Culhwch]] involved the character being the son of a boar god.<ref name=mallory1997 /> Nevertheless, the importance of the boar as a culinary item among Celtic tribes may have been exaggerated in popular culture by the ''[[Asterix]]'' series, as wild boar bones are rare among Celtic archaeological sites and the few that do occur show no signs of butchery, having probably been used in sacrificial rituals.<ref name=green2002>{{cite book |last=Green |first=M. |date=2002 |title=Animals in Celtic Life and Myth |publisher=Routledge |page=46 |isbn=1-134-66531-8}}</ref>

The boar also appears in [[Vedic mythology]] and [[Hindu mythology]]. A story present in the [[Brahmanas]] has the god [[Indra]] slaying an avaricious boar, who has stolen the treasure of the [[Asura (Hinduism)|asuras]], then giving its carcass to the god [[Vishnu]], who offered it as a sacrifice to the gods. In the story's retelling in the [[Charaka Samhita]], the boar is described as a form of [[Prajapati]] and is credited with having raised the Earth from the primeval waters. In the [[Ramayana]] and the [[Puranas]], the same boar is portrayed as [[Varaha]], an [[avatar]] of Vishnu.<ref>{{cite book |last=Macdonell |first=A. A. |date=1995 |orig-date=1898 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b7Meabtj8mcC&pg=PA41 |title=Vedic Mythology |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305145147/https://books.google.com/books?id=b7Meabtj8mcC&pg=PA41 |archive-date=5 March 2023 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |page=41|isbn=978-81-208-1113-3 }}</ref>

[[File:Herakles Erymanthian boar BM B213.jpg|thumb|[[Herakles]] brings [[Eurystheus]] the [[Erymanthian boar]], as depicted on a black-figure amphora ({{Circa|550 BC}}) from [[Vulci]].]]
In [[Japanese culture]], the boar is widely seen as a fearsome and reckless animal, to the point that several words and expressions in [[Japanese language|Japanese]] referring to recklessness include references to boars. The boar is the last animal of the [[Chinese zodiac|Oriental zodiac]], with people born during the [[Pig (zodiac)|year of the Pig]] being said to embody the boar-like traits of determination and impetuosity. Among Japanese hunters, the boar's courage and defiance is a source of admiration and it is not uncommon for hunters and [[mountain people]] to name their sons after the animal ''inoshishi'' (猪). Boars are also seen as symbols of fertility and prosperity; in some regions, it is thought that boars are drawn to fields owned by families including pregnant women, and hunters with pregnant wives are thought to have greater chances of success when boar hunting. The animal's link to prosperity was illustrated by its inclusion on the [[¥]]10 note during the [[Meiji period]] and it was once believed that a man could become wealthy by keeping a clump of boar hair in his wallet.<ref name=knight2003>Knight, J. (2003), ''Waiting for Wolves in Japan: An Anthropological Study of People-wildlife Relations'', Oxford University Press, pp. 49–73, {{ISBN|0-19-925518-0}}</ref>

In the folklore of the [[Mongolian people|Mongol]] [[Altai Uriankhai]] tribe, the wild boar was associated with the watery underworld, as it was thought that the spirits of the dead entered the animal's head, to be ultimately transported to the water.<ref name=pegg2001>Pegg, C. (2001), ''Mongolian Music, Dance, & Oral Narrative: Performing Diverse Identities'', University of Washington Press, p. 140, {{ISBN|0-295-98112-1}}</ref> Prior to the conversion to Islam, the [[Kyrgyz people]] believed that they were descended from boars and thus did not eat pork. In [[Buryats|Buryat]] mythology, the forefathers of the Buryats descended from heaven and were nourished by a boar.<ref name=holmberg1927>Holmberg, U. (1927), ''[[The Mythology of All Races]] volume 4: Finno-Ugric, Siberian'', New York, Cooper Square Publishing Inc. pp. 502–503</ref> In [[China]], the boar is the emblem of the [[Miao people]].<ref name="cabanau63" />

The boar ([[Boars in heraldry|sanglier]]) is frequently displayed in [[English heraldry|English]], [[Scottish heraldry|Scottish]] and [[Welsh heraldry]]. As with the [[Lion (heraldry)|lion]], the boar is often shown as armed and [[langued]]. As with the [[Bear in heraldry|bear]], Scottish and Welsh heraldry displays the boar's head with the neck cropped, unlike the English version, which retains the neck.<ref>Fox-Davies, A. C. (1909), [https://archive.org/stream/completeguidetoh00foxdrich#page/198/mode/2up ''A complete guide to heraldry''], London, Edinburgh, T.C. & E.C. Jack, pp. 198–199</ref> The [[white boar]] served as the [[Heraldic badge|badge]] of [[Richard III of England|King Richard III of England]], who distributed it among his northern retainers during his tenure as [[Duke of Gloucester]].<ref>Wagner, J. A. (2001) ''Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses'', ABC-CLIO, p. 15, {{ISBN|1-85109-358-3}}</ref>
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=== As a game animal and food source ===
{{Main|Boar hunting}}
[[File:Wild Boar shop.jpg|thumb|Wild boar haunches and [[Trophy hunting|trophy]], [[Umbria]], Italy]]
[[File:Wild Pork at Chico's.jpg|thumb|right|A wild boar dish served in [[Helsinki]], Finland]]
Humans have been hunting boar for millennia, the earliest artistic depictions of such activities dating back to the [[Upper Paleolithic]].<ref name=mallory1997 /> At some archaeological sites in China dating back to the [[Holocene climatic optimum|Holocene Climatic Optimum]] (HCO), boar composed up to 73% of all medium and large mammal remains, indicating heavy reliance on these suids as a food source.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Qu |first=Yumeng |date=November 2024 |title=Understanding mammal resource choices and subsistence strategies during the Holocene Climate Optimum: Integration of evidence from palaeodistribution modelling, animal bones and archaeological remains in the farming-pastoral ecotone, northern China |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305440324001390 |journal=[[Journal of Archaeological Science]] |language=en |volume=171 |pages=106071 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2024.106071 |bibcode=2024JArSc.171j6071Q |access-date=10 March 2025 |via=Elsevier Science Direct}}</ref> The animal was seen as a source of food among the [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greeks]], as well as a sporting challenge and source of epic narratives. The [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] inherited this tradition, with one of its first practitioners being [[Scipio Aemilianus]]. Boar hunting became particularly popular among the young nobility during the 3rd century BC as preparation for manhood and battle. A typical Roman boar hunting tactic involved surrounding a given area with large nets, then flushing the boar with dogs and immobilizing it with smaller nets. The animal would then be dispatched with a ''venabulum'', a short [[spear]] with a [[crossguard]] at the base of the blade. More than their Greek predecessors, the Romans extensively took inspiration from boar hunting in their art and sculpture. With the ascension of [[Constantine the Great]], boar hunting took on Christian allegorical themes, with the animal being portrayed as a "black beast" analogous to [[Saint George and the Dragon|the dragon]] of [[Saint George]].<ref name="scheggi9">{{Harvnb|Scheggi|1999|pp=9–58}}</ref>

Boar hunting continued after the [[fall of the Western Roman Empire]], though the Germanic tribes considered the [[red deer]] to be a more noble and worthy quarry. The post-Roman nobility hunted boar as their predecessors did, but primarily as training for battle rather than sport. It was not uncommon for medieval hunters to deliberately hunt boars during the breeding season when the animals were more aggressive. During the [[Renaissance]], when [[deforestation]] and the introduction of [[firearm]]s reduced boar numbers, boar hunting became the sole prerogative of the nobility, one of many charges brought up against the rich during the [[German Peasants' War]] and the [[French Revolution]].<ref name="scheggi9"/>

During the mid-20th century, 7,000–8,000 boars were caught in the Caucasus, 6,000–7,000 in Kazakhstan and about 5,000 in Central Asia during the [[Soviet]] period, primarily through the use of dogs and beats.<ref name=heptner1988 /> In Nepal, farmers and poachers eliminate boars by baiting balls of wheat flour containing explosives with kerosene oil, with the animals' chewing motions triggering the devices.<ref>Shreshta, Tej Kumar (1997). ''Mammals of Nepal: (with reference to those of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Pakistan)''. Steven Simpson Books. p. 207. {{ISBN|0-9524390-6-9}}</ref>

Wild boar can thrive in captivity, though piglets grow slowly and poorly without their mothers. Products derived from wild boar include meat, hide and bristles.<ref name=heptner1988 /> ''[[Apicius]]'' devotes a whole chapter to the cooking of boar meat, providing 10 recipes involving roasting, boiling and what sauces to use. The Romans usually served boar meat with [[garum]].<ref name="scheggi30">{{Harvnb|Scheggi|1999|pp=30–35}}</ref> [[Boar's Head Feast|Boar's head]] was the centrepiece of most medieval [[Christmas]] celebrations among the nobility.<ref>Adamson, M. W. (2004), ''Food in Medieval Times'', Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 35, {{ISBN|0-313-32147-7}}</ref> Although growing in popularity as a captive-bred source of food, the wild boar takes longer to mature than most domestic pigs and it is usually smaller and produces less meat. Nevertheless, wild boar meat is leaner and healthier than [[pork]],<ref name=harris2009>Harris, C. (2009), ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Jny0R4gEQxcC&pg=PA27 A Guide to Traditional Pig Keeping] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305145204/https://books.google.com/books?id=Jny0R4gEQxcC&pg=PA27 |date=5 March 2023 }}'', Good Life Press, pp. 26–27, {{ISBN|1-904871-60-7}}</ref> being of higher [[nutritional value]] and having a much higher concentration of essential [[amino acid]]s.<ref>Strazdina, V. et al. [http://llufb.llu.lv/conference/foodbalt/2014/FoodBalt_Proceedings_2014-32-36.pdf "Nutritional Characteristics of Wild Boar Meat Hunted in Latvia"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016112523/http://llufb.llu.lv/conference/foodbalt/2014/FoodBalt_Proceedings_2014-32-36.pdf |date=16 October 2014 }}, ''Foodbalt'' (2014)</ref> Most meat-dressing organizations agree that a boar carcass should yield {{convert|50|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of meat on average. Large specimens can yield {{convert|15|–|20|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of fat, with some giants yielding {{convert|30|kg|lb|abbr=on}} or more. A boar hide can measure {{cvt|3|m2|sqin|lk=in}} and can yield {{convert|350|-|1000|g|oz}} of bristle and {{convert|400|g|oz}} of underwool.<ref name=heptner1988 />
<gallery>
File:EberreliefmitHund-3Jhrnchr-FOKoeln2.jpg|Roman relief of a dog confronting a boar, [[Cologne]]
File:Südindischer Meister um 1540 002.jpg|Southern Indian depiction of boar hunt, {{circa|1540}}
File:Modern Pig-Sticking (1914) A. E. Wardrop I.png|Pig-sticking in [[British India]]
File:Регулирование численности кабана (1).jpg|Boar shot in [[Volgograd Oblast]], Russia
File:Brooklyn Museum - The Boar Hunt - Hans Wertinger.jpg|The Boar Hunt – Hans Wertinger, {{circa|1530}}, the [[Danube Valley]]
</gallery>
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=== Crop and garbage raiding ===
[[File:Dziki na smieciach Berlina.jpg|thumb|left|An adult sow and young that have broken open a litter bag in Berlin seeking food]]
Boars can be damaging to [[agriculture]] in situations where their natural habitat is sparse. Populations living on the outskirts of towns or farms can dig up [[potato]]es and damage [[melon]]s, [[watermelon]]s and [[maize]]. However, they generally only encroach upon farms when natural food is scarce. In the [[Białowieża Forest|Belovezh forest]] for example, 34–47% of the local boar population will enter fields in years of moderate availability of natural foods. While the role of boars in damaging crops is often exaggerated,<ref name=heptner1988 /> cases are known of boar depredations causing [[famine]]s, as was the case in [[Hachinohe, Aomori|Hachinohe]], Japan in 1749, where 3,000 people died of what became known as the "wild boar famine". Still, within Japanese culture, the boar's status as vermin is expressed through its title as "king of pests" and the popular saying (addressed to young men in rural areas) "When you get married, choose a place with no wild boar."<ref name=knight2003 /><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Walker|first1=Brett L.|title=Commercial Growth and Environmental Change in Early Modern Japan: Hachinohe's Wild Boar Famine of 1749|journal=The Journal of Asian Studies|volume=60|issue=2|year=2010|pages=329–351 [331]|jstor=2659696|doi=10.2307/2659696|s2cid=39491692}}</ref>

In Central Europe, farmers typically repel boars through distraction or fright, while in Kazakhstan it is usual to employ guard dogs in plantations. However, research shows that when compared with other mitigation tactics, hunting is the only strategy to significantly reduce crop damage by boars.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Geisser|first1=Hannes|last2=Reyer|first2=Heinz-Ulrich|title=Efficacy of Hunting, Feeding, and Fencing to Reduce Crop Damage by Wild Boars|date=2004–2010|url=https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-wildlife-management/volume-68/issue-4/0022-541X_2004_068_0939_EOHFAF_2.0.CO_2/EFFICACY-OF-HUNTING-FEEDING-AND-FENCING-TO-REDUCE-CROP-DAMAGE/10.2193/0022-541X(2004)068&#91;0939:EOHFAF&#93;2.0.CO;2.full|journal=Journal of Wildlife Management|volume=68|issue=4|pages=939–946|doi=10.2193/0022-541X(2004)068[0939:EOHFAF]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=85904067|issn=0022-541X|access-date=25 September 2021|archive-date=5 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305145202/https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-wildlife-management/volume-68/issue-4/0022-541X_2004_068_0939_EOHFAF_2.0.CO_2/EFFICACY-OF-HUNTING-FEEDING-AND-FENCING-TO-REDUCE-CROP-DAMAGE/10.2193/0022-541X(2004)068&#91;0939:EOHFAF&#93;2.0.CO;2.short|url-status=live}}</ref> Although large boar populations can play an important role in limiting forest growth, they are also useful in keeping pest populations such as [[European chafer|June bugs]] under control.<ref name=heptner1988 /> The growth of urban areas and the corresponding decline in natural boar habitats has led to some sounders entering human habitations in search of food. As in natural conditions, sounders in peri-urban areas are matriarchal, though males tend to be much less represented and adults of both sexes can be up to 35% heavier than their forest-dwelling counterparts. As of 2010, at least 44 cities in 15 countries have experienced problems of some kind relating to the presence of habituated wild boar.<ref name=cahill2012>{{cite journal | last1 = Cahill | first1 = S. | last2 = Llimona | first2 = F. | last3 = Cabañeros | first3 = L. | last4 = Calomardo | first4 = F. | year = 2012 | title = Characteristics of wild boar (''Sus scrofa'') habituation to urban areas in the Collserola Natural Park (Barcelona) and comparison with other locations | url = http://abc.museucienciesjournals.cat/files/ABC_35-2_pp_221-233.pdf | journal = Animal Biodiversity and Conservation | volume = 35 | issue = 2 | pages = 221–233 | doi = 10.32800/abc.2012.35.0221 | doi-access = free | access-date = 9 October 2014 | archive-date = 14 October 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141014134132/http://abc.museucienciesjournals.cat/files/ABC_35-2_pp_221-233.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref>

A 2023 study found that allowing wild pigs to forage on edible garbage in large regional landfills results in those animals getting physically large/heavier, having larger litters of piglets, and causing more wild pig-vehicle collisions in the vicinity of the landfill. The effects of letting these pigs scavenge in these landfills can present unique challenges to population management, control, public safety, and disease transmission. Wild pigs foraging on edible food waste in landfills has also been identified as a vector that facilitates the spread of African swine fever virus.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mayer |first1=John |last2=Edwards |first2=Thomas |last3=Garabedian |first3=James |last4=Kilgo |first4=John |title=Sanitary waste landfill effects on an invasive wild pig population |journal=Journal of Wildlife Management |date=2021 |volume=85 |issue=5 |pages=868–879 |doi=10.1002/jwmg.22042 |bibcode=2021JWMan..85..868M |osti=1782427 |s2cid=233601579 }}</ref>

=== Attacks on humans ===
Actual attacks on humans are rare, but can be serious, resulting in penetrating injuries to the lower part of the body. They generally occur during the boars' [[Rut (mammalian reproduction)|rutting]] season from November to January, in agricultural areas bordering forests or on paths leading through forests. The animal typically attacks by charging and pointing its tusks towards the intended victim, with most injuries occurring on the [[thigh]] region. Once the initial attack is over, the boar steps back, takes position and attacks again if the victim is still moving, only ending once the victim is completely incapacitated.<ref name=manipady2006>{{cite journal | last1 = Manipady | first1 = S. | display-authors = etal | year = 2006 | title = Death by attack from a wild boar | url = http://www.phossil.com/thom/4th%20July%20Hog/Wild%20Boar%20Attacks/Death%20By%20Wild%20Boar.pdf | journal = Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine | volume = 13 | issue = 2 | pages = 89–91 | doi = 10.1016/j.jcfm.2005.08.007 | pmid = 16263321 | access-date = 9 October 2014 | archive-date = 18 October 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141018193808/http://www.phossil.com/thom/4th%20July%20Hog/Wild%20Boar%20Attacks/Death%20By%20Wild%20Boar.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name=gunduz2007>{{cite journal | last1 = Gunduz | first1 = A. | display-authors = etal | year = 2007 | title = Wild Boar Attacks | url = http://www.phossil.com/thom/4th%20July%20Hog/Wild%20Boar%20Attacks/Wild%20Boar%20Attack%20III.pdf | journal = Wilderness and Environmental Medicine | volume = 18 | issue = 2 | pages = 117–119 | doi = 10.1580/06-weme-cr-033r1.1 | pmid = 17590063 | s2cid = 1528398 | access-date = 20 August 2012 | archive-date = 9 August 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170809140100/http://phossil.com/thom/4th%20July%20Hog/Wild%20Boar%20Attacks/Wild%20Boar%20Attack%20III.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref>

Boar attacks on humans have been documented throughout history. The Romans and Ancient Greeks wrote of these attacks ([[Odysseus]] was wounded by a boar and [[Adonis]] was killed by one). A 2012 study compiling recorded attacks from 1825 to 2012 found accounts of 665 human victims of both wild boars and feral pigs: the highest number of those attacks (24%) occurred in the United States, though the next-highest (19%), in India, was also the greatest percentage of attacks occurring in the animal's native range. Most of the attacks occurred in rural areas during the winter months in non-hunting contexts and were committed by solitary males.<ref name=mayer2013>Mayer, John J. (2013) [http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_wdmconfproc/151 "Wild Pig Attacks on Humans"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620010503/http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_wdmconfproc/151/ |date=20 June 2016 }}. Wildlife Damage Management Conferences – Proceedings. Paper 151.</ref>

=== Management ===
Managing wild boar is a pressing task in both native and invasive contexts as they can be disruptive to other systems when not addressed. Wild boar find their success through adaptation of daily patterns to circumvent threats. They avoid human contact through nocturnal lifestyles, despite the fact that they are not evolutionarily predisposed, and alter their diets substantially based on what is available.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal|last1=Johann|first1=Franz|last2=Handschuh|first2=Markus|last3=Linderoth|first3=Peter|last4=Dormann|first4=Carsten F.|last5=Arnold|first5=Janosch|date=2020-01-09|title=Adaptation of wild boar (Sus scrofa) activity in a human-dominated landscape|journal=BMC Ecology|volume=20|issue=1|pages=4|doi=10.1186/s12898-019-0271-7|issn=1472-6785|pmc=6953143|pmid=31918698|bibcode=2020BMCE...20....4J |doi-access=free }}</ref> These "adaptive generalists", can survive in a variety of landscapes, making the prediction of their movement patterns and any potential close contact areas crucial to limiting damage.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Clontz|first1=Lindsay M.|last2=Pepin|first2=Kim M.|last3=VerCauteren|first3=Kurt C.|last4=Beasley|first4=James C.|date=2021-03-25|title=Behavioral state resource selection in invasive wild pigs in the Southeastern United States|journal=Scientific Reports|language=en|volume=11|issue=1|pages=6924|doi=10.1038/s41598-021-86363-3|pmid=33767284 |pmc=7994638 |bibcode=2021NatSR..11.6924C |issn=2045-2322}}</ref> All of these qualities make them equally difficult to manage or limit.

Within Central Europe, the native habitat of the wild boar, there has been a push to re-evaluate interactions between wild boar and humans, with the priority of fostering positive engagement. Negative media and public perception of wild boar as "crop raiders" have made those living alongside them less willing to accept the economic damages of their behaviors, as wild boar are seen as pests. This media tone impacts management policy, with every 10 negative articles increasing wild boar policy activity by 6.7%.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last1=Miller|first1=Ryan S.|last2=Opp|first2=Susan M.|last3=Webb|first3=Colleen T.|date=2018|title=Determinants of invasive species policy: Print media and agriculture determine U.S. invasive wild pig policy|journal=Ecosphere|language=en|volume=9|issue=8|pages=e02379|doi=10.1002/ecs2.2379|bibcode=2018Ecosp...9E2379M |s2cid=196685896 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Contrary to this portrayal, wild boar, when managed well within their natural environments, can be a crucial part of forest ecosystems.
[[File:Feral Hog hunting.jpg|thumb|Recreational wild boar hunting]]
Defining the limits of proper management is difficult, but the exclusion of wild boar from rare environments is generally agreed upon, as when not properly managed, they can damage agricultural ventures and harm vulnerable plant life.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Gray|first1=Steven M.|last2=Roloff|first2=Gary J.|last3=Kramer|first3=Daniel B.|last4=Etter|first4=Dwayne R.|last5=Vercauteren|first5=Kurt C.|last6=Montgomery|first6=Robert A.|date=2020|title=Effects of Wild Pig Disturbance on Forest Vegetation and Soils|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jwmg.21845|journal=The Journal of Wildlife Management|language=en|volume=84|issue=4|pages=739–748|doi=10.1002/jwmg.21845|bibcode=2020JWMan..84..739G |s2cid=214349584 |issn=1937-2817}}</ref> These damages are estimated at $800 million yearly in environmental and financial costs for the United States alone.<ref name=":1" /> The breadth of this damage is due to prior inattention and lack of management tactics for extended lengths of time.<ref name=":3" /> Managing wild boar is a complex task, as it involves coordinating a combination of crop harvest techniques, fencing, toxic bait, corrals, and hunting. The most common tactic employed by private land owners in the United States is recreational hunting; however, this is generally not as effective on its own.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last1=Beasley|first1=James C.|last2=Ditchkoff|first2=Stephen S.|last3=Mayer|first3=John J.|last4=Smith|first4=Mark D.|last5=Vercauteren|first5=Kurt C.|date=2018|title=Research priorities for managing invasive wild pigs in North America|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jwmg.21436|journal=The Journal of Wildlife Management|language=en|volume=82|issue=4|pages=674–681|doi=10.1002/jwmg.21436|bibcode=2018JWMan..82..674B |issn=1937-2817}}</ref> Management strategies are most successful when they take into account reproduction, dispersion, and the differences between ideal resources for males and females.<ref name=":2" />

Wild boars are causing soil disturbance that, among other problems, globally results in annual carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to that of ~1.1 million passenger vehicles (4.9 Mt, 0.01% of all GHG emissions as of 2022), implying that as of 2021, hunted boar meat – unlike other meat products – has beneficial effects on the environment<ref>{{cite news |title=The climate impact of wild pigs greater than a million cars |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-07-climate-impact-wild-pigs-greater.html |access-date=14 August 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en |archive-date=3 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803195708/https://phys.org/news/2021-07-climate-impact-wild-pigs-greater.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=O’Bryan |first1=Christopher J. |last2=Patton |first2=Nicholas R. |last3=Hone |first3=Jim |last4=Lewis |first4=Jesse S. |last5=Berdejo-Espinola |first5=Violeta |last6=Risch |first6=Derek R. |last7=Holden |first7=Matthew H. |last8=McDonald-Madden |first8=Eve |title=Unrecognized threat to global soil carbon by a widespread invasive species |journal=Global Change Biology |year=2021 |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=877–882 |doi=10.1111/gcb.15769 |pmid=34288288 |s2cid=236157683 |language=en |issn=1365-2486}}</ref> even though the effect would diminish if boars are introduced for meat production, so consistently retaining small populations of boars may be preferable.