Wild boar numbers on the rise in Belgium

Wild boar have been reintroduced to Flanders since 2006, after being hunted to extinction during World War II. It is not known how many wild boar roam the Flemish territory today, but evidence suggests that the population is steadily increasing and spreading.

Limburg has the highest wild boar population. Last year, more than 3,000 wild boar were shot in Flanders, 2,719 of them in the province of Limburg, an increase of 25% compared to 2022. The annual monitoring of slaughter shows an increasing trend with a clear peak in 2021.

The city of Genk has once again leased hunting rights to control the wild boar population in order to minimise damage to residential areas and agriculture.