"Black, Heavy Bodies Charge Through Local Playgrounds"... Wild Boar Sightings Reported in Downtown for Five Consecutive Days

"Do Not Run Away With Your Back Turned"

Reports of wild boar sightings in downtown Daejeon have continued for five consecutive days, prompting authorities to urge citizens to exercise extra caution. The winter months (November to January) are the breeding season for wild boars, during which male boars become more active and frequently venture into urban areas or residential neighborhoods in search of food.

According to the Seo-gu Office in Daejeon on January 20, a report was received at around 8:50 a.m. that a wild boar had appeared in Doan 7 Neighborhood Park in Doan-dong. The Seo-gu Office’s wild animal damage prevention team and the fire department searched the area but were unable to locate the boar. The Seo-gu Office sent a text message to nearby residents, warning that the park’s walking trails are areas where wild boars may appear and urging them to stay safe.

Wild boar appearing in an apartment complex in Jeongnim-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon. Provided by Seo-gu Office, Daejeon

Earlier, at around 9:20 a.m. on January 15, two wild boars appeared in an apartment complex in Jeongnim-dong, Seo-gu, prompting authorities to conduct a search. Closed-circuit television footage showed two wild boars coming down from a nearby hill and then returning to the mountain. About one hour and ten minutes later, at around 10:30 a.m., a report was received that a wild boar had appeared on a road in Masan-dong, Dong-gu. This boar was captured.

Two days later, at around 7:30 p.m. on January 17, another wild boar sighting was reported in Jeongnim-dong. From January 15 through January 20, authorities in Dong-gu and Seo-gu focused their tracking and capture activities on the hills near the reported locations, capturing five wild boars in Dong-gu and four in Seo-gu.

Guidelines for Actions When Wild Boars Are Spotted. Provided by Daejeon City.

As wild boar sightings continued, Daejeon City formed a capture team of 101 members and activated a response system in cooperation with the police and fire departments in the event of wild boar appearances. Banners with safety guidelines were also posted at major hiking trail entrances. Baek Kyekyung, head of Daejeon City’s Environmental Policy Division, advised, "If you encounter a wild boar, do not scream or run away with your back turned. Instead, look the boar straight in the eyes and quickly hide behind a rock or tree."