Public warning issued as large male boar is on the loose in Kerry

The public have been advised not to approach the animal.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has urged people in Kerry to be on alert as a wild large male boar is missing and could be roaming the county. According to Radio Kerry, seven wild boar were spotted by a local landowner in the village of Cordal around the Mount Eagle area, which is a popular walking area for locals, on Tuesday. The NPWS was subsequently contacted and six of the seven animals were dispatched humanely on Tuesday evening though one remains on the loose. Regional manager for the NPWS Seamus Hassett told Radio Kerry: "So there's one animal still missing or unaccounted for. "We'd be very grateful if landowners in the Cordal and Castleisland area could keep an eye out for it. "The animal that's missing currently is a boar. It's a large male pig. I would advise people not to approach it and to contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service if they do see it." In a statement to JOE, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage said: "The National Parks and Wildlife Service are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of both European and National Nature Conservation legislation. "It is currently an offence under both to introduce without a current licence certain species into the wild which may have serious implications for our native flora and fauna. "Such releases are not only illegal, but they also pose a very serious threat to the disease-free status of the national herd." The NPWS office in Killarney can be contacted by calling the following number: (064) 6635215. Image via Facebook/Radio Kerry