Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
A group of wild boars infiltrated a Malaga Park, forcing dozens of children, teens, and their parents to leave.
Around 6.20 pm, the police started closing down the Baden-Powell Park. Residents had just finished their Friday evening in this park.
The park was bustling, as it is located below Sierra del Co Street, in the El Limonar neighbourhood.
READ MORE Watch: Wild boars storm shopping centre on Spain’s Costa del Sol
The wild boars were suddenly seen by children playing on steep slides, skating tracks and swings.
El Limonar, a popular hotspot in Spain for these animals is known to be a place where they can find food and dense vegetation.
They are particularly noticeable around Fuente de Berrocal where they have completely uprooted the grass.
The Language of Speaking SUR, a local resident warned that ‘there could be a serious problem’ in the future if incidents like this continue.
Malaga is home to an estimated 22,000 wild boars. Their incursions in urban areas have become more frequent.
In Malaga city, residents have recently reported sightings in La Virreina, Las Flores, and at the Baños del Carmen.
In addition, wild boars were spotted in shopping centres, on the beach, and even inside Fuengirola.
One concerned resident has told SUR that children playing in areas frequented by wild boars ‘could become infected’.
These animals can also cause physical harm and economic damage.
The regional government has set up traps to try and control the population growth, while the Malaga City Council is using anaesthetics darts in some areas, as well as euthanasia.
The wild boars still cause significant disturbance to the public.
This comes after boars were filmed last week storming the Miramar Shopping Centre in Fuengirola.
In online video footage, shoppers were stunned to see a family of pigs scurrying through the complex.
The clip uploaded on Instagram appears to show a piglet trailing an adult specimen.
After being startled by shoppers, a young black child can be seen to leave the group.
After realizing that they have been left behind, the dog rushes towards them.
It’s not the first time that animals have been filmed in the Miramar shopping center.
In late December, footage shared on Instagram The picture shows adult and young specimens digging in bins.
Locals recorded the animals with their mobile phones, gushing at them.
While they might appear cute, they can be incredibly aggressive. This is especially true for mothers traveling with their young. They are very protective of them and will react violently to any perceived threats.
A police officer in Madrid was bitten by a boar last year after the animal went ‘on a rampage’ through the streets.
Experts warn that the same substances could also pose an enormous health risk in Spain.
In fact, they are often carriers of hepatitis E, an infection which causes around €50,000 deaths a year.
Last year, a team of Spanish scientists discovered wild boar strains of hepatitis E viruses show ‘molecular similarity’ to human strains, suggesting the animals may be transmitting the illness to humans.
Jordi Sarac-Cobo is one of the scientists who said, “We have to be very careful.” “If we do nothing, sooner than later, we will have a huge problem on a world scale.”
The study took place in Barcelona, where 3.2 million people reside with wild boars living 5-15 per square kilometer.
A 2015 study showed the animals could also transmit Japanese encephalitis and Nipah Virus – a deadly disease which currently has no cure.
Wild boars are said to move into urban areas because of the urbanisation of rural areas and the abandonment farmland.
In urban areas they tip bins and eat contents. To prevent this, it would be best to make it hard for the boars turn bins onto their side.
The scientists recommend washing hands with soap and warm water.
