Wild boar hunt authorised with 75 posts in Malaga province town due to overpopulation in mountainous areas
Authorities ask for extreme caution and urge locals to avoid places in rural areas of Alhaurín de la Torre such as Arroyo Blanquillo and Jabalcuza during the hunt that is scheduled for Saturday, 17 January
The La Torre hunting society in Alhaurín de la Torre has received the approval of the territorial delegation of sustainability and environment of the Andalusian regional government (Junta) to organise a wild boar hunt in the mountains of the municipality on Saturday, 17 January.
According to La Torre president Gabriel Cruz Rodríguez, this task is necessary to combat the overpopulation of these animals in the nearby forest and to stop them from accessing urban areas. Their presence in parts of the town centre has recently grown more common.
30 specimens
are expected to be shot, according to the hunting society's estimates from previous overpopulation hunts
As Cruz Rodríguez has said, there are 75 authorised hunting posts and nine packs of dogs. The participants will be stationed from 8am to 4pm on Saturday. According to La Torre's estimates, around 30 specimens will be shot.
Precautions
Authorities have called for resident caution due to the use of firearms during the hunting campaign. Information signs have already been installed all around the perimeter. During the day of the hunt, the trails will be closed to prevent the transit of people. Officials from the environment department, forest rangers, the Local Police and civil protection will be mobilised, in coordination with the Guardia Civil.
The town hall has announced that the hunting task, declared an "emergency" due to the environmental, agricultural and health risks wild boar overpopulation can cause, will take place in the public MA-10769 area, La Mezquita-Arroyo Blanquillo, known as Sierra Llana.
Residents and visitors are urged to avoid the area, the Blanquillo, Zambrana and El Pinar streams, as well as Jabacuza and "any other lane, path or access likely to be used by hikers, cyclists or nature enthusiasts". "Likewise, any type of sports and recreational or other activity are banned in the entire affected area for the duration of the hunt, in order to guarantee the safety of people and the correct development of the authorised action," the statement says.
For the past year, residents of the municipality have been reporting that groups of wild boars have been roaming around their homes, entering their gardens, turning over rubbish and even causing traffic problems
This part of the municipal mountain is very frequented. The area, for example, overlaps with the route of the La Conquista del Paraíso mountain trail race, which was last held on 11 January. Sports clubs that use the area have warned their members that they have look for a different route this Saturday.
For the past year, Alhaurín de la Torre residents have been complaining that whole groups of wild boars have been roaming around their homes, entering their gardens, turning over rubbish and even causing traffic problems.
For this reason, the town hall is collaborating with El Paraíso and working in a direction that avoids animal slaughter. El Paraíso has already yielded results in places such as Cortes de la Frontera, where its teams have performed actions that involve the capture of live specimens and their transfer to other areas of the mountain in order to avoid overpopulation. However, councillor for the environment Abel Perea said that they need to first find the ideal location for the transfer - a task that is still pending.
This is why coordination between nearby municipalities is key. Wild boar overpopulation is a problem not only in Alhaurín de la Torre, but also in Mijas, Malaga, Cártama, Benalmádena and Alhaurín el Grande. In addition, the regional government owns a large part of the mountains, which means that it should also participate in combating the issue, which has even reached higher institutional bodies.
Drinking troughs
In the meantime, some measures have been put in place, such as the construction of water troughs for animals in the forest. This should stop wild boars before they reach urban areas in search of food and water. Such resources have been installed in various areas: Pinos de Alhaurín, Cortijos del Sol and Torresol, which are the closest to the forest. However, specimens have also been observed at more distant points, such as Capellanía, which means that they also move near the banks of some streams.
In recent years, the presence of wild boar has increased exponentially: by seven, according to experts' estimates, bringing the number of specimens to over 20,000.
