Wild boars are causing havoc on the streets of a small European city as locals fear the animals have invaded the area.
Locals living in the French city of Marseille have expressed their fear of the animals which have proliferated in the region as boars have been spotted roaming the streets and raiding bins as they scavenge for food and try to survive outside Calanques National Park.
Some experts have said the wild boar phenomenon began with the park was opened 11 years ago and comes as a result of the fact that the park’s only predator is the wolf.
Furthermore, the expansion and growth of the wild boar population have had a dramatic impact on the local food chain as they begin to disrupt the lives of locals.
Speaking Le Figaro, Didier Réault said: “The other evening, I was visiting a council estate in Luminy, in the 9th arrondissement.
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“It was 8.30pm. And there was a wild boar wandering along the road, looking for something to eat, just five metres from my car!”
Talking about the wild boars deputy mayor of Marseille Christine Juste said: “They spot rubbish bins and help themselves to food from inside without the slightest effort. And they don’t knock over the yellow bin, but the brown one!
“They know all about selective sorting. At Roy d’Espagne (a district in the 9th arrondissement), we had to raise the bins.”
Ms Juste added: “Wild boars uproot plants. It’s an animal that has a huge impact on biodiversity. What’s more, these 120kg animals run fast and can be very dangerous.
“They’ve already knocked over a few local residents. In September, a wild boar injured a little girl who tried to stroke it. When wild boar roam, they can be a danger and cause car accidents!”
Mr Réault added that the problem with wild boars has been influenced by their intelligence in picking up human habits.
They explained: “Many people come to feed the stray cats on the edge of the park. And the wild boar have quickly picked up on the technique, and come to eat too.”
Mr Réault added: “I’ve met two or three at Luminy. They’re often elderly people who come with their trunks full of food and think they’re doing the right thing.
“They don’t understand the problem. But the wild boars don’t need to be fed! And if there was no feeding, it would be harder for some wild boars to survive, and that would help regulate the population.”
To try and solve the situation, the Town Hall issued a decree that banned the feeding of all wild animals in Marseille.
Mr Réault said: “So far, we’ve been in the awareness-raising phase. We’re now going to move on to the punishment phase. We can’t yet see the effects of this order.”