THE number of wild boar killed in the annual Forestry Commission cull in the public Forest this season is already greater than the same period last year.

Deputy surveyor of the Forest Kevin Stannard said the cull was already “well on the way” to reaching the target of 575 animals.

He told Forest of Dean councillors the figure of 575 is thought to be the number that would stop the upward trend among the boar.

A thermal imaging survey last spring estimated there are some 1,018 boar on Forestry Commission land.

The Commission has set a target 400 boar as being a ‘sustainable’ population, the Forest Council’s scrutiny and overview committee heard.

Mr Stannard said: “The 575 is the figure we need to get to test the population modelling because until we have tested that it would be difficult not impossible to set a target that reliably brings us down to 400.

“We started in Septemer and have already culled more than we did in the previous year and are well on target to completing that target on time.

“That won’t bring the population back down to 400 immediately but it will allow us to resurvey using the same techniques and methodology and see whether the population model is correct and then set another cull target for the following period which will aim to bring that number down.

“When we started culling boar we had three wildlife rangers, we increased that to four and have taken on two trainees this year.

“The two trainees will be retained for three years where they should be able to assist with significantly higher numbers.

“I have four wildlfe rangers who will succeed in getting the 575 target and an additional two who will be brought on to cull next year. We do have the resources.”

Cllr James Bevan (Con, Lydney East) said he still wanted to see total eradication of the boar but asked if the Commission would fence in a small number for “tourist value.”

Mr Stannard replied: “We are not in the business of boar farming so we are not going to be fencing them in.”

Cllr Richard Leppington (UKIP, Bream) asked him to apologise “to the many constituents whose lives have been blighted by the boar.”

Mr Stannard said: “I can say we are sorry but I think the people to blame are those who originally dumped the population here.

“They were the culprits – if that illegal dumping had not taken place we wouldn’t have this problem.”

The committee also heard from Mr Clive Shaw, who attended with Mr Roger Holmes, and who asked what the long-term strategy and short-term plans were for controlling the boar.

He said: “The pair of us have been active in trying to get reparations or some systematic approach to dealing with the boar in the Lydney area and only met with heartache.

“It appears that all that the suggestions disappear into a miasma of lack of responsibility.

“Our experience is that Lydney Town Council, the district council and the Forestry Commission don’t actually talk to each other, don’t commit to put any effort or enterprise or care or concern into this plan.”