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A hunter has been killed by a wild boar in Germany.
Ronald Ahrens, 50, joined a 12-man hunt for boar in the northeastern town of Greifswald early this month.
According to reports, he was gored to death by the animal he intended to kill.
Shot fired
Witnesses told police Ahrens fired at the boar and believed he had hit the animal.
When he went to find the boar, he was attacked, sustaining leg injuries and falling into water. He was taken to a local hospital where he died.
Police say the boar’s location and condition are unknown, but have warned people not to look for the animal, who they described as ‘dangerous’.
Conflicting response
Commentary on news of Ahrens’ death is mixed.
Some see it as poetic justice – or at least fair play on the part of the boar.
Facebook user Paul Link wrote: “The boar has a right to defend itself the same as any sentient being so if you go to kill something don’t be surprised if it wants to kill you to survive [sic].”
Conversely, Christopher Bigelow commented: “I see a lot of people laughing when they don’t know how dangerous boars really are…They also destroy crops and land.”
Population control
Hunters kill roughly half a million boars annually – encouraged by experts in the name of ‘population control’.
Authorities want to control the population – which has grown due to human-born issues – because some of the animals carry African swine pest fever and are infecting other species.
To this end, the region’s agricultural ministry recently placed a £25 bounty on every wild boar shot dead.
Despite the bounty, hunting expert Torsten Reinwald describes wild boars as ‘the winners of climate change and agricultural and energy policies’.
