WILDLIFE RANGERS ARE continuing their search of a mountainous area in Kerry for a wild boar who escaped a cull.

The hunt has prompted one wildlife campaigner to call for the on-the-run hog to be spared.  

In recent days the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) had been in the Mount Eagle, Cordal area of Castleisland hunting the illegal herd.

As boars are an invasive species in Ireland wildlife experts were notified by a local farmer when he spotted them on his land. The herd was cornered in a field and then euthanised.

One of the feral pigs bolted from his impending demise and is now on the loose in the countryside.

A spokesperson for the NPWS said that people should report any sightings and not to approach the dangerous animal.

“The National Parks and Wildlife Service are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of both European and National Nature Conservation legislation.

“It is currently an offence under both, to introduce without a current licence certain species into the wild which may have serious implications for our native flora and fauna. Such releases are not only illegal, but they also pose a very serious threat to the disease free status of the national herd.

“On Tuesday 15 June NPWS Regional staff were made aware of the presence of approximately seven animals fitting the description of Feral pigs / Wild boar by a concerned land owner in the Castleisland area.

“NPWS staff attended the scene to assess the validity of the sighting and to ascertain the best course of action to pursue. NPWS are indebted to the concerned landowner for reporting the sighting as soon as they did,” he said.

The spokesperson said that NPWS has a policy to remove “alien species” out of the area to preserve the “native flora and fauna”.

“In this instance six of the reported animals were dispatched on Tuesday evening. There was apparently a seventh animal present earlier in the day and any sightings of an animal fitting the description should be reported to the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Killarney National Park on 064 6635215.

“The NPWS and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage liaises with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine when the species in question may pose a threat to agriculture or livestock,” he added.

Animal rights Campaigner John Carmody called on the NPWS not to kill the animal.

“The National Parks and Wildlife Service must call off their plans to lethally kill this lone wild boar who is the only family member remaining out of seven that were spotted and killed recently. “Killing wildlife continues to be the only lazy solution to apparent problematic wildlife and it must stop. Animal lovers across Kerry and around Ireland join calls to humanly trap the animal and work with wildlife advocates to either place the animal in a sanctuary or work towards relocating him or her to the UK where some wild boar are still roaming,” he said.