Animal rights campaigners have called for the wild boar not to be killed.
The search is continuing for a large male boar on the loose in Kerry, with the public being urged to remain on alert.
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 National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) was subsequently contacted and six of the seven animals were dispatched humanely on Tuesday evening, though one remains still missing.
In a statement to JOE, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage said on Thursday: “Current NPWS policy is to try and contain and remove any alien species/species of concern as soon as is reasonably possible to ensure the conservation of native flora and fauna.
“This may be achieved in a number of ways, either through capture and removal, treatment with relevant herbicide in the case of plants or by euthanising/humanely dispatching the animals where appropriate. In this instance, six of the reported animals were dispatched on Tuesday evening.”
The statement added: “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.
“There could be dire consequences if diseases such as African swine fever were to be present or if a highly contagious disease were unintentionally introduced.”
Meanwhile, animal rights campaigner John Carmody has called for the now lone wild boar not to be killed.
“The National Parks and Wildlife Service must call off their plans to lethally kill this lone wild boar who is the only family member remaining out of seven that were spotted and killed recently,” Carmody said in a statement.
“Killing wildlife continues to be the only lazy solution to apparent problematic wildlife and it must stop.
“Animal lovers across Kerry and around Ireland join calls to humanely trap the animal and work with wildlife advocates to either place the animal in a sanctuary or work towards relocating him or her to the UK where some wild boar are still roaming.”
People in the Cordal and Castleisland area have been asked to keep an eye out for the animal. They have been advised not to approach it but instead to contact the NPWS if they spot the boar.
The NPWS office in Killarney can be contacted by calling the following number: (064) 6635215.
Image via Facebook/Radio Kerry
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