DECLINE OF WILD BOAR POPULATION

[Anchor Lead]

The wild boar population is shrinking rapidly as the central and local governments are trying to catch the animals amid the outbreak of African swine fever. The government's goal to capture 100-thousand wild pigs appears achievable by the end of the year. The hunting strategy to reduce the number of wild boar roaming in urban areas seems to be working.

[Pkg]

Hunters and hunting dogs comb through a hill. When a wild boar is spotted, the dogs surround it and the hunter fires a gun. The number of wild boar captured this way has surged since mid-October. An average of 135 boars were caught daily last year, but since mid-October the number more than quadrupled to 590. The hunting team has been expanded, and hunting is no longer restricted to designated areas only. Hunters are now allowed to kill the animals in areas where they appear frequently. The amount of prize money for catching wild boar has been increased from around 50-thousand won per animal to a whopping 200-thousand won.

[Soundbite] CHOI SI-WAN(WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION) : "We have lifted restrictions on hunting areas, so hunters can expand their area of operation. It is easier to control the boar population this way."

The government intends to capture 100-thousand boar by the end of the year, or one-third of their entire estimated population in the nation. Having no predators, the population of wild boar has exploded in recent years, but now they are facing an existential threat from humans.

[Soundbite] (ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY OFFICIAL) : "We are approaching our target of 100,000. The boar population will surely decrease, but estimates are needed to find out how large it is."

Experts say the hunting operation shows that it's possible to keep the number of wild boar under control. They are also calling for taking into account the animals' breeding patterns and optimum population density.