According to multiple reports, the search dog Beckett has been attacked by wild boars a couple of times during his seven years of life. Most recently, Beckett was gored in the groin and had to be rushed to the vet. According to TV4 Nyheterna, Torkel Norling, Beckett's owner and a search hunter, described that even a small drop of blood in the fur can indicate a serious wound, as the tusk may have cut under the skin, requiring a thorough check. He also noted that while Beckett was lively and happy after the incident, it could easily have gone badly.
According to the animal insurance company Agria, the number of dogs injured by wild boars increased by 30% last year. Hunting dogs are particularly affected by wild boar attacks. Researchers say that with a growing wild boar population, we must learn to live with this development. According to TV4 Nyheterna, Giorgia Ausilio, a researcher at SLU's experimental station Grimsö, described that if the number of wild boars increases, more hours must be spent in the forest to shoot them, which raises the risk of injuries to dogs.
It could be just a drop of blood in the fur, then the tusk may have gone in and cut further under the skin. But it can be very serious, so you have to go in and check it.
The total number of dogs injured last year has not been disclosed, and it is unclear what specific preventive measures are being recommended. The regions most affected by wild boar attacks on dogs have not been specified, nor has the current estimated wild boar population in Sweden been confirmed.
He was lively and happy, but it could just as easily have gone badly.
If the number of wild boars increases, we must also increase the number of hours we spend in the forest to shoot wild boars. Then of course there is an increased risk that they will be injured.