Irish ‘wild boar’ turns out to be a pig in a poke

Wild boar may not be that wild after all, with DNA analysis showing that boars in Ireland are mostly pig.

The next edition of the Irish Wildlife Trust’s magazine suggests that cross-breeding between boars and domestic pigs has been rife, sparking fresh questions as to the suitability of allowing wild boar back into Irish forests.

A study by University College Cork and University College Dublin of recently shot specimens indicate cross breeding or “introgression” with domestic pigs.