Wild Boars

[Anchor Lead]

An unusual number of crops have died amid this year's long heat wave and drought. Now farmers have one more problem to deal with as wild boars come down from the mountains, trouncing through their fields and trampling over their hard work.

[Pkg]

A large plot of land lies in ruin on one side and untouched on the other.

[Soundbite] Lee Yeong-pyo (Daejeon Farmer) : "I was stunned this morning. Boars ruined my field up there also. I don't feel like farming anymore."

This summer, local governments of Daejeon and Sejong received roughly 320 reports of crop damages caused by wild boars. The number has increased by about 60 cases compared to the same time last year. The long heat wave has dried up their habitats, causing the boars to come down to human residential areas. So, the local government has temporarily permitted nighttime hunting in the Daejeon area.

[Soundbite] Kim Yong-ho (Dong-gu Dist. Office, Daejeon) : "We conduct on-site inspections and provide damage compensation. There is also a project to support the installation of preventive facilities like electric or steel fences when boar attacks persist."

Farmers suffering from the unprecedented heat wave and drought are disheartened as they have to deal with wild boar attacks.