Wednesday, 22 October 2025, 18:34
People have been complaining about the presence of wild boar or feral pigs in Andalucía’s urban areas for more than a decade now. Malaga city is one of the areas that has a serious problem with these animals. There is even a political consensus in the city council when it comes to the topic and its importance. However, there is a difference in the approach, with more hard-right representatives accusing other parties of trying to satisfy animal rights activists.
During the latest meeting of the environment committee in Malaga, the local authorities brought up a recent incident that involved a young woman. She was riding her motorbike home, when a wild boar crossed the road and she fell to the ground.
The debate compared dogs to wild boar and councillor for the environment Penélope Gómez asked whether they are expected to also hunt down and shoot dogs that cause traffic accidents. However, there is a complication in terms of responsibility here, because the city council is responsible for removing stray dogs from the streets, while the wild boar situation is more uncertain.
What is more, the wild boar that enter urban areas are not a native species in the south of Spain and they are displacing the native fauna. Moreover, it is quite well-known by now that they have an impact on “public safety and the environment”. Wild boars have been seen in places such as Churriana, Ciudad Jardín, El Limonar, Hacienda Paredes and Cerrado de Calderón, where residents have recently reported seeing groups of around 20 specimens.
Gómez explained that they have put in place the new contract for the control of the species, which amounts to 30,000 euros per year. Under the previous contract, 80 actions were carried out. On 45 occasions, archers using narcotic darts were used to control the numbers.
Those who defend wild boar rightfully say that these animals simply look for something to eat. The problem is that, when they enter the city, they can cause a traffic accident just by walking on the road. In addition, there are also other issues linked to their wandering around public spaces. The abovementioned incident, for example, caused the 27-year-old woman injuries and bruises and required her to take time off work.
Con Málaga councillor Nico Sguiglia humorously said that he doesn’t understand how people can send satellites to the Moon but public administrations cannot control wild boars. He said that both the regional government and the city council are financially abundant at the moment, so there must be a management issue. He added that hunting around residential areas should not be the only solution.
The councillor for the environment recognised the role of well-managed hunting, describing it as “a tool to preserve ecological balance and to combat invasive species”. However, stated that hunting was not possible in urban areas and that it was, in any case, a responsibility of the regional government.
In the end, the environmental committee approved a request for the regional government to extend the hunting season for wild boar in the hills surrounding Malaga and to authorise selective population controls. The committee also unanimously approved a request for a comprehensive report on the actions, results and costs of the measures taken to tackle the overpopulation of wild boars.
What is the difference between a wild boar and a feral pig?
According to experts and as defined by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), ‘cerdolíes’ are hybrids between Vietnamese pigs and wild boar. They live in the wild and are the result of pet pigs being released into nature after being kept as domestic animals.
The cross between the two species is a hybrid, the first specimens of which were found on the Iberian Peninsula in 2010. It is an interesting animal weighing between 80 and 100 kilos, shorter and wider than a wild boar, hairy, possibly with light patches.
Why can they interbreed? Because the Vietnamese pig is technically a subspecies of the wild boar and reproduction between the invasive species and the native one is possible. Owing to its greater reproductive capacity, the hybrid can grow and adapt rapidly to new ecosystems, outnumbering wild boar populations. Ultimately, these wild boar remain exposed to further hybridisation.