Valencian Community removes over 3,800 wild boars in 2026, boosts health safeguards

In early 2026 the Valencian Community (Comunitat Valenciana) reported the removal of more than 3,800 wild boars as part of an intensified regional wildlife‑control programme. The operation, coordinated by the public agency Vaersa together with local hunting groups, employed traps, drones, camera stations and artificial‑intelligence analysis to target high‑density areas.

The effort aims to curb the growing damage to crops, reduce the number of road‑traffic accidents caused by boars crossing highways at night, and lower the risk of African swine fever entering European pig farms. Of the captured animals, roughly 1,300 were taken directly by Vaersa’s trapping systems and about 2,000 by hunters. Officials stress that the measures are designed to bring boar density to levels that protect agriculture and public health while preserving ecological balance.