Wild boars have been seen strolling past a town centre pub – and the landlady says it is “normal”.
Five boars were filmed walking near the Golden Lion in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, on Wednesday.
Feral populations of boars have existed in the nearby Forest of Dean since escaping from a farm in the 1990s.
They now represent Britain’s largest boar population, with the Woodland Trust estimating that there are 2,600 of the animals nationwide.
Nikki Norman, the pub’s landlady, said it was “quite normal” for the animals to be seen roaming around the town because it was close to the forest.
“Customers love it,” she said. “They think it is really great.”
Boars are sturdy, powerful animals covered in bristly hair that can vary from dark brown almost black in colour to gingery brown.
They were once native to Britain but were hunted to extinction in the 14th century.
However, their numbers have surged since the 1990s when they escaped or were illegally released from farms.
They can weigh up to 220lbs, heavier than the average man, and stand around 2.6ft tall at the shoulder, almost the same height as a Great Dane.
In 2004, around 60 boars were released near Cinderford when they were illegally dumped near the village of Staunton.
By 2009, they began breeding and the numbers steadily increased, with each sow producing up to 12 piglets a year.
Now they represent the largest boar population in England and attract tourists to the area, which borders Wales.
But they have also been blamed for car crashes and livestock deaths.
Farmers in Scotland, who have had their lambs attacked, have called for culls to control the populations of boars.
Conservationists argue that the concerns are overblown and that boars are useful for improving habitats and ecosystems.
