Eight feral pigs have been captured and killed in the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, following a suspected second illegal rewilding attempt in just under a month.
The pigs were spotted in the dense Uath Lochans area on Monday, and located by authorities the next day. After consulting with veterinarians and the police, Forestry and Land Scotland said they 'humanly culled' the animals.
The FLS is the Scottish government agency responsible for managing the country's forests and land. They condemned the apparently illegal release in a statement.
"The feral pigs, classed as a non-native species, were released with an apparent disregard for the illegality of such action and for the potential consequences that this might have on local habitats and wildlife, on other livestock or even on the welfare of the feral pigs themselves," said a spokesperson.
The Cairngorms is the largest national park in the UK. It's visited by almost two million people each year, who flock to hike, camp, and, run in the picturesque Scottish wilderness.
A month ago, we reported on the illegal release of four wild lynx in freezing conditions at the Cairngorms National Park. After their subsequent capture, authorities transferred the animals to Edinburgh Zoo, where one died.
Gamekeepers are now urging authorities to take swift action against 'guerilla rewilders'.
“Rewilding is becoming popularised as a concept, and there’s a lot of organizations pushing the rewilding mantra,” said a spokesperson for the Scottish Gamekeepers Association.
“It would appear that this is more a form of guerrilla rewilding.
“Perhaps people or devotees within that movement are becoming frustrated at the standard stakeholder processes which must happen around any reintroduction of species."
Several wilderness organizations are in favor of a structured, legal rewilding program. They believe species like lynx should be reintroduced to the British Isles to redress issues with ecosystems and restore biodiversity in areas like the Scottish Highlands.
"It’s the people who have to deal with the consequences of that, they should ultimately have the final sign-off, because they have got to live with it every day,” the SGA spokesperson continued.
“If that process is not followed, then the authorities have to act decisively to ensure that this type of guerrilla rewilding does not take hold in Scotland as the norm."
Authorities have not said whether they believe the two incidents are linked.
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