Injured wild boar: don't approach — here's who to call

Finding an injured wild boar — often after a road collision — is a situation where the instinct to help must give way to caution. An adult wild boar, even seriously injured, can cause serious harm to a human. Don't approach.

Why wild boar are different from other injured animals

Adult wild boar weigh between 50 and 150 kg. They have sharp tusks (used as weapons by males) and powerful musculature. An injured, frightened animal is unpredictable: it can appear motionless and then lunge suddenly.

Unlike a hedgehog, a bird or a fox, you cannot pick this up yourself. It's not even certain that a standard wildlife rescue centre will be equipped to handle it.

Who to call

1515 — Carabinieri Forestali: the national number, active 24 hours a day. For wild fauna in difficulty it's the primary contact, especially for large mammals. They assess the situation and coordinate the response.

Provincial or local police: in many provinces they have jurisdiction over wild fauna and can respond quickly to road accidents involving animals.

112 — Emergency services: if the animal is in the middle of the road and creating a traffic risk, call 112. Road safety is the priority.

Wildlife rescue centres specialising in large mammals: these exist, but there are few of them. WildSOS shows active centres in your area — contact them to find out if they accept ungulates.

While waiting for help

Keep a safe distance — at least 5–10 metres. Don't try to approach "to see how it's doing." Don't let dogs near it.

If you're in a car and the boar is in the road, switch on your hazard lights, stay in the car, call for help. Don't move the animal with your vehicle.

If the boar is at the roadside and not blocking the carriageway, wait for the authorities to arrive without intervening.

What happens next

The Carabinieri Forestali or provincial police will typically assess whether the animal is recoverable. If it has minor injuries and can still move, it's often left in the wild — wild boar are resilient animals and survive trauma that would kill other ungulates.

If it's seriously injured and cannot survive, it will be put down on the spot by authorised officers. That's the least-bad outcome compared to a prolonged state of suffering.

In rare cases, it will be stabilised and taken to a facility equipped for ungulate rehabilitation.

A note on piglets

Wild boar are born in spring in litters of 4–8 piglets (called "striped" for their camouflage-patterned coats that blend with vegetation). If you find piglets alone with no mother visible, wait at a distance for at least an hour before intervening. Females temporarily move away from the group.

If you're certain the mother is dead (for example after a road accident), call 1515. Wild boar piglets cannot be raised at home — they grow large within months and are completely wild animals.

Legal considerations

The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a huntable species, but the management of injured animals is governed by regional wildlife legislation. You cannot keep a wild boar at home, not even a piglet. Emergency rescue without notifying the competent authorities may constitute an offence.