Express & Star

Warning to residents over wild boar in area

Residents in Chase Terrace have been warned to be careful after wild boar were spotted roaming in the area.

Published
A wild boar seen in Chase Terrace

The news comes after a pensioner reported being charged at by a boar which was with piglets while walking along a footpath near to Chase Terrace.

Gill Heath, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for communities, said the council does not know how they got there and warned residents to "err on the side of caution".

She said: “We have recently been made aware of the presence of one or two wild boar in the area, but do not know how they got there.

“We will be keeping an eye out for them but as boars may be aggressive if they are with their young, we would suggest if someone does see one they err on the side of caution and do not approach it.”

Graham Roe said he was out on a footpath near to Chase Terrace when he spotted five or six boar piglets.

The 72-year-old said: "While I was looking at the piglets a sow appeared out of the trees from about 50 yards away and basically charged us.

Vicious

"It only stopped about 15ft in front of us when it ran into a fence.

"They can really be quite vicious. A lot of people walk around there with dogs, some with children and if there's a sow out there with piglets there will be a male out there.

"They have been known to kill dogs and occasionally people.

"It was probably standing about 2ft 6 high but it was quite heavy looking.

"I could have climbed a tree if it had come closer but I don't know what would have happened to my puppy then.

"Next year there will be five or six more of them, it's quite concerning really, they're going to increase in number.

"I was shaking quite badly."

Mr Roe said he wanted to warn others about the boar after the incident on March 30.