Wild boar released into enclosure at Dundreggan
After more than a year of planning, 6 wild boar donated to us by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotlands Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig were released on 26th November 2009 into a purpose-built 12.3 hectare (30.4 acre) fenced enclosure on Dundreggan. This area of birch-juniper woodland, like much of the remaining ancient woodland on the estate, is overgrown with bracken, which shades out woodland flowering plants such as primroses and dog violets and inhibits the regeneration of trees.
The boar will reduce the prevalence of bracken by eating the plants rhizomes the underground runners by which it spreads. Building on the experience of the Guisachan Wild Boar Project, which we were a partner in during the time it ran from 2004-07, weve selected an area of woodland with some of the densest bracken, and the boar will initially be kept in half of the enclosure. At a later date, when they have reduced the bracken there, they will be transferred to the other half.
The project has gone ahead thanks to the generosity of our members and supporters, who responded to our Wild Boar Appeal in November 2008, and with funding towards the cost of the fence from the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP).
The transfer of the boar from Kincraig was done using a boar trailer kindly loaned to us for the occasion by Liz Balharry, who coordinated the Guisachan Wild Boar Project. It rained for the whole of the day, but that didnt deter the Trees for Life staff and volunteers who assisted with it, or the media, who turned out in good numbers to document the occasion (see also our press release about the event).
These photographs show some of the key moments from this memorable day. You can also see press releases and external video clips by following the links from here.
 Loading the boar on to the trailer at the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig. |
 Pushing the trailer full of boar through the mud of their pen at Kincraig was hard work on a cold and wet day! |
 One of the signs that we are required to display on the enclosure, under the terms of the licence for the project from Highland Council. Although wild boar are classified by the government as wild and dangerous animals, in practice they are mainly gentle and shy, although like many large animals, they can be formidable if cornered. |
 Once they arrived at Dundreggan, the boar were released from the trailer into a small holding pen, attached to the main boar enclosure, so that they could be examined by a vet. |
 The Highland Council vet (left) and Steve Morris (our Project Manager at Dundreggan) inspecting one of the boar in the holding pen, before releasing the animals into the main enclosure. |
 Paparazzi at work! Photographers from the Daily Mail and the Press and Journal taking still photos of the boar, while a TV cameraman (at rear) shoots footage with his equipment protected against the rain, for the news item that was broadcast in the evening. |
 Released from the holding pen, the boar head into the birchwood that is their new home. |
 Looking quite at home in the woodland already the boar were quick to explore the site. |
 Within a few minutes of being released, the boar were already starting to eat the bracken. The fence that contains them in the enclosure is visible behind. |
 Alan Watson Featherstone being interviewed for a news item about the boar release that was broadcast in the evening by STV television. The story was also covered by BBC Scotland television and the BBC Gaelic TV programme, as well as featuring on BBC Radio Scotland, Moray Firth Radio and various newspapers. A full list of the media coverage of the event is available here. Photo by Kevin Featherstone. |
Alan Watson Featherstone
Pages about Wild boar on this site
- Wild boar - Species Profile
- Update on the wild boar at Dundreggan - February 2010
- Update on the wild boar at Dundreggan - January 2010
- Wild boar released into enclosure at Dundreggan - November 2009
- Wild Boar arrive at Dundreggan on YouTube
- Wild Boar at Dundreggan Appeal - November 2008
- Video: The Guisachan Wild Boar Project - a short video clip (6.7 mb) about this partner project, situated just outside Glen Affric
- Results from the Guisachan Wild Boar Project - May 2008
- Rooting for Regeneration - Guisachan Wild Boar Project update, November 2006
- Wild boar project takes root(s), literally! - Guisachan Wild Boar Project update, November 2005
- Guisachan Wild Boar Project - May 2004
- Mythology and Folklore of the Wild boar
Pages about Dundreggan on this site
- Dundreggan home page
- Become a Friend of Dundreggan
- The Dundreggan Estate - the perfect site for forest restoration. Management plan in brief.
- £1.65 million Dundreggan deal a milestone for Scotland's Caledonian Forest
- Our purchase of Dundreggan is complete, at last - August 2008
- Dundreggan News: articles from 2006 to the present
- First impressions of Dundreggan's potential for forest restoration
- Biodiversity on Dundreggan - First impressions, August 2006
- Biodiversity on Dundreggan
- The History of the Dundreggan Estate