Wild boar 'illegally dumped' in the Cairngorms

A group of wild boar appear to have been illegally released in the Highlands.

It's thought around 20 pigs have been dumped at an area near the Cairngorm village of Insh.

This comes just weeks after four lynx were released in a wooded area near Kingussie.

Efforts are ongoing to trap the animals, who are said to be "relatively domesticated."

Diseases from pigs could have "devastating consequences"

The Cairngorms National Park Authority say they're working with partners on the matter.

A spokesperson said: "We are aware that feral pigs have been spotted in an area of the Cairngorms National Park near Uath Lochans.

"The Park Authority is working closely with partners – including NatureScot and Forestry and Land Scotland – to ascertain the full facts on the ground and Forestry and Land Scotland is currently attempting to trap the animals.

"The animals appear to be relatively domesticated and it is likely that this is an illegal release.

"The Park Authority condemns any illegal release of animals in the strongest possible terms."

A Forestry Land Scotland spokesperson added: “We have been alerted to group of pigs moving between our Inshriach Forest and the Wildland landholding in the Cairngorms National Park.

“We are liaising with partners in an attempt to capture the group.

"We will discuss further with partners on any appropriate course of action when or if the group of pigs is captured.”

In terms of human safety, while wild boar are not usually aggressive they can apparently be dangerous in certain situations.

The Cairngorms Crofters & Farmers Group say they "extremely concerned" about the diseases they could be carrying.

A statement posted on social media said: "Diseases such as bovine tuberculosis (bTB), foot-and-mouth disease, and leptospirosis could have devastating consequences for Scotland’s farming community.

"These creatures can cause serious problems for crofts and farms – their rooting behavior destroys pasture, hay fields, and crops such as barley and oats, with newly planted fields being especially vulnerable, while on grazing land, their rooting disturbs the soil, reducing the quality of grazing land and increasing the spread of weeds.

"They also damage fences, allowing sheep and cattle to escape, causing further losses for crofters and farmers."

The group also outlined how they utterly condemn unlawful releases.

They added: "At a time when rewilding efforts in the Cairngorms should be built on trust and collaboration, these reckless releases are completely alienating the crofting and farming community.

"Years of careful dialogue with rewilding organisations are now being rapidly eroded by such irresponsible actions.

"Unfortunately there is currently no national strategy for managing Scotland’s wild boar populations, leaving land managers such as ourselves to deal with the consequences on our own."