Excited Wild Boar Attacks Elementary School...Urgent Situation Revealed

Police Agency Releases Footage of Wild Boar Shooting on 15th Last Month
Firefighter Holding Capture Net Also Attacked... Firearms Used Eventually

Last month, a video was released showing a wild boar weighing 100 kg breaking into an elementary school in Daegu and causing a commotion.

On the 15th, the official YouTube channel of the National Police Agency uploaded a video titled "The 100 kg Wild Boar(?) Arriving Early for School." The incident occurred at 5:36 a.m. on the 15th of last month, before dawn had fully lifted. The wild boar calmly passed through the parking lot and sidewalk blocks, then suddenly ran wildly near the school building and playground as if it was agitated. At that time, there was even a citizen taking a walk on the school playground. The police and firefighters who responded to the report became increasingly anxious as the school start time approached. It was a dangerous and urgent situation because if the wild boar left the school just before the start of classes, it could have encountered students.

[Image source=Captured from the National Police Agency YouTube channel]

Moreover, the wild boar kept rampaging, making it difficult to shoot a tranquilizer dart. For about 30 minutes, firefighters and police tried to capture the wild boar with a capture net, but the boar charged at a firefighter holding the net and attempted to attack, forcing them to change their strategy. Eventually, the police drew a pistol, aimed at the wild boar, and shot it dead.

The first report of the wild boar's appearance was received at 4:45 a.m. at the time. The report stated, "One wild boar is roaming near the Bukbu Bus Stop in Bisan-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu." The fire department immediately dispatched personnel, but the wild boar had already left the scene. According to the fire department's confirmation, a total of two wild boars were confirmed to have appeared in the area. About an hour later, another report came in that one wild boar was found inside an elementary school in Bisan-dong, Seo-gu. The police shot the wild boar dead around 6:15 a.m. The other wild boar died after being hit by a vehicle near Nogokgyo Bridge on Sincheon-daero around 6 a.m., slightly earlier. There were no reported casualties due to the wild boar appearances. A police official said, "Due to public safety concerns and the risk of African Swine Fever (ASF) infection, we had no choice but to shoot the wild boar."

A wild boar running around the grounds of an elementary school in Daegu on the 15th of last month. [Image provided by Daegu Fire Safety Headquarters]

Netizens who watched the video responded with comments such as, "It's a relief that the wild boar was caught before the students arrived at school," "I support the police officers who calmly handled the dangerous situation," "The police officer's judgment and shooting skills are excellent," and "Just thinking about the wild boar is scary, but it was an elementary school with children... It could have been a big disaster, so it's fortunate they responded quickly."

Meanwhile, wild boars have been increasingly appearing in large cities such as Seoul, Busan, and Daegu recently. On the 9th, a wild boar appeared near Dongnae Cultural Center in Myeongnyun-dong, Dongnae-gu, Busan, prompting a disaster alert message to be sent. On the 30th of last month, there was a report of a wild boar sighting in Geumjeong-gu, Busan. From January to September last year, the number of fire department dispatches due to wild boar appearances in Seoul more than doubled compared to the same period the previous year. By region, Eunpyeong-gu had the highest number with 231 cases, followed by Gangbuk-gu (211 cases), Jongno-gu (194 cases), and Dobong-gu (161 cases).

If you encounter a wild boar, you should not shout or make threatening gestures, and turning your back and running away is also dangerous. Since wild boars are basically sensitive, you should never provoke them. It is advisable to look directly into the wild boar's eyes while looking for cover such as nearby trees or rocks and move to a safe place.