Wild boar attacks dog in Forest of Dean
Walkers in the Forest of Dean are being warned about the dangers of wild boar after a dog was attacked and severely injured.
A couple walking along a footpath when the boar appeared without warning from the undergrowth and charged at their dog, reportsStroud News and Journal.
The springer spaniel suffered a broken its leg and leaving it with other "severe" injuries .
According to local news sources, the boar left the dog for dead and then tried to attack the woman. Her husband managed to fight the boar off by using the branch from a tree.
The incident took place on Aylburton Common, part of the Lydney Park Estate in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
In recent years the number of wild boars has rocketed from 300 to 800, reports theDaily Mirror.
The gamekeeper for Lydney Park Estate believes the aggression was from a female boar which has a young family she is trying to protect.
Officers fromGloucestershire Police are advising all walkers to take care when walking on the estate and to ensure their dogs are kept well under control.
An estimated 800 wild boar roam the Forest of Dean. They usually only feed on carcasses and vegetation, but recently the Forestry Commission has received reports of groups of boar surrounding newborn lambs before trampling and eating them.
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