On Tuesday 25 August, eight wild boars were successfully relocated from Berg en Bos Nature Park to Veldhoven Zoo. The move will improve the composition of the boar herd at Berg en Bos and provide the remaining animals with more space and peace and quiet.
The local authority decided to relocate the animals because their welfare was at risk. The group of wild boars consisted of sixteen animals. Such a group of wild boars is also known as a ‘rotte’. Twelve of the sixteen animals were males. The limited size of the enclosure and the large number of males led to competition amongst them, which increased the risk of conflicts and injuries. Bouwien ten Bokum, Councillor for Animal Welfare: “I’m really pleased that, thanks to Animal Rights, we’ve found a lovely home for them and that the move went so smoothly. At Veldhoven Zoo, they can carry on roaming about to their heart’s content, just as they were used to doing at Berg en Bos. I’m delighted about that.”
Removing eight male wild boars from the herd creates a more balanced composition within the herd. This helps to promote greater harmony amongst the animals and reduces the likelihood of conflicts and injuries.
The council had previously decided to have some of the male wild boars put down in stages. The Animal Rights Foundation then contacted the council to enquire whether it would be possible to relocate some of the animals. Although the local authority had already looked into this option itself, no suitable shelter had yet been found for such a large group of animals.
Animal Rights eventually found a suitable home at Veldhoven Zoo and worked actively to make the move possible.
Veterinarian Peter Klaver was called in to assist with the move. The animals first had to be anaesthetised so that they could be transported safely. Once sedated, the wild boars were removed from the woods and placed individually in transport crates. After they had woken up, the animals were transported to Veldhoven by the specialist transport company Crossborder Animal Services. All eight wild boars arrived at their new home in good health.
Since 2024, wild boars in Berg en Bos have been prohibited from breeding. This is a consequence of national regulations stemming from the list of domestic and hobby animals. As wild boars are not included on this list, they may no longer be bred or kept for the purpose of reproduction. The animals may remain in Berg en Bos until they die of natural causes.
To prevent reproduction, wild boars have been periodically treated with a vaccine that renders them infertile since 2024.
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