In Berlin, around 2,500 wild boar were killed again in the 2021/22 hunting year, which ended at the end of March. The amount is very high and roughly corresponds to that of the previous hunting year, said wildlife officer Derk Ehlert from the Senate Department for the Environment of the German Press Agency.

According to Ehlert, complaints about wild boar encroaching on settlements and gardens have decreased in recent years. “Berliners have become much more relaxed,” said the expert.

Only around 1700 animals were killed in the 2019/2020 season. According to the German Hunting Association, many driven hunts had been canceled due to contact restrictions and bans on accommodation. A hunting year lasts from April 1st to March 31st of the following year.

The problem that wild boars from the Berlin forests are also looking for food in neighboring residential areas on the outskirts of the city is still relevant, explained Ehlert. At the moment, the south-east and south-west of Berlin are particularly affected.

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The advance of wild boar in gardens has to do with the weather and the food supply, said the expert. “Basically, the animals do this when there is more attractive food to be found outside of the forest.” This is especially the case in summer when the gardens and lawns are blown up. In wetter soil, soil organisms such as worms and snails are more active and easier for the wild boar to find. “Wild boars have fine noses and are also attracted to plants and flower bulbs,” says Ehlert.