(Wild boars killing)

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Killing is not the solution-Malay Mail

By NISRIN OTHMAN

 

29 December, 2006

 

DON'T kill the wild boars! World Wildlife Fund national programme

director Dr Dionysius Sharma wants the Wildlife and National Parks

Department to refrain from killing the wild boars in efforts to drive

them away from public places at Bukit Antarabangsa. Dr Sharma said

killing a boar would not solve the problem.

 

" It is a short-term solution. They should relocate them,he said,

voicing concern over reports that the officers were planning to kill a

boar as a deterrent to others.

 

Dr Sharma urged the department to find out the number of wild boars in the area.

 

" They should come up with a strategy to relocate them.

 

" Killing one or even a few boars will not be an effective deterrent

because these species breed quickly.

 

" It 's best for the department to relocate the animals,he said.

 

" If we disturb their habitat, naturally they will encroach into our

areas to look for food for survival,said Dr Sharma.

 

He also advised residents in the area to stop dumping food outside their house.

 

" It 's the nature of wild boars to be attracted to rubbish stench.

 

" To deter the presence of these animals, re s ide nt s ' initiatives

are vital. They should keep their rubbish bins clean or place the bins

inside their compound,said Dr Sharma.

 

The Malay Mail had reported that the residents, who used to take nig

ht t ime walks along the road in Bukit Antarabangsa, now do not

venture out of their homes at night for fear of being attacked by the

animals.

 

Yesterday, the wildlife officers, armed with .22 rifles and 12-gauge

shotguns, kept watch from 10.

 

30pm to 4am, in the hope that the boars would appear.

 

A department spokesman said the boars may have come from a thick

forest about 1km away.

 

" Boar attacks on humans are rare, but they will do so if they feel threatened.

 

However, as this is a residential area, we cannot take the chance of

someone getting hurt, he said, adding that they planned to kill a boar

as a deterrent to the others.

 

However, he said they didn't normally kill animals as their job was to

protect them.