Wild boar return to Marbella beaches in search of food

The wild boar are back on the beaches of Marbella. Late on Wednesday afternoon, a herd approached El Cable beach to look for food but were chased away by the Local Police. The presence of these animals on the Costa del Sol has increased in recent weeks, and it is now common to see them in urban areas.

The boar were also filmed by tourists near Opium Beach Club, as they went to the beach to drink and search for food in the containers of the nearby beach bars.

A few weeks ago, a video of the animals stealing tourists' snacks from their sunbeds at Estrella del Mar went viral on social media.

The deputy mayor for San Pedro Alcántara, Javier García, said the animals were present mainly in peripheral areas such as Guadalmina Alta, Bello Horizonte and Trapiche Norte, but said that work is being done "to prevent them from moving on” to other areas.

García said that Marbella town hall is "very scrupulous" in complying with the Andalusian and national regulations, and pointed out that the health department "is studying solutions" to solve the problem.

The Junta’s department of sustainability blamed the lack of water and food caused by the drought, together with a high density of the animal population and said that "exceptional measures" had been put in place to guarantee the "resilience and sustainability" of the populations of these species. The department also stressed the importance of not leaving food around so that the animals do not approach urban areas.

Animal rights group Pacma criticised the measures to control the wild boar population. "It is essential to recognise the richness and fragility of our biodiversity and to advocate the adoption of policies based on ethics, common sense and sustainability," said the group's president, Javier Luna. "The onus is on all of us as citizens to push for change to protect our ecosystems and ensure an equitable and sustainable future for generations to come.”

According to Pacma, urban growth and the expansion of agriculture and livestock farming are also contributing to the spread of wild boar. "The animals have less and less living space and less and less food, forcing them to move closer" to urban areas where they have overcome "their fear of humans".