Wild boars force evacuation of children’s playground in Malaga – amid surge in incidents along the Costa del Sol

DOZENS of children, teenagers, and their families have been forced to evacuate a Malaga park after a group of wild boars invaded the area.

Residents were enjoying their Friday evening at the Baden-Powell park when police began closing it down at around 6.20pm.

The park, located in a valley below Sierra del Co Street in the El Limonar neighborhood, was bustling with activity. 

READ MORE: Watch: Wild boars storm shopping centre on Spain’s Costa del Sol

Children were playing on the steep slides, skate tracks, and swings when the wild boars suddenly appeared.

El Limonar is a well-known hotspot for these animals, which are drawn to the area’s dense vegetation and food remnants left behind by visitors. 

Their presence is particularly evident around the Fuente de Berrocal, where the grass has been completely uprooted by their movements.

Speaking to SUR, a local resident warned that ‘there could be a serious problem’ in the future if incidents like this continue.

An estimated 22,000 wild boars roam the Malaga province, and their incursions into urban areas are becoming increasingly frequent. 

In Malaga city, residents have recently reported sightings in La Virreina, Las Flores, and at the Baños del Carmen. 

Further afield, wild boars have been spotted inside shopping malls, along the seafront, and even on the beaches of Fuengirola and Mijas.

Another concerned resident told SUR that children playing in areas frequented by wild boars ‘could become infected’.

In addition to the threat of zoonotic diseases, these animals pose dangers such as physical attacks and economic damage.

In an effort to control the growing population, the regional government has deployed traps, while Malaga City Council has begun using anaesthetic darts and euthanasia in certain areas.

However, the wild boars continue to cause significant disruption to the public.

It comes after a sounder of boars was filmed storming the Miramar shopping centre in Fuengirola last week.

In video footage shared online, a family of the pigs can be seen scuttling through the complex in front of stunned shoppers.

The short clip, uploaded to Instagram, appears to show an adult specimen being followed by multiple piglets.

One black-coloured youngster can be seen straying from the group after becoming distracted by startled shoppers.

It is then seen scurrying towards the pack after suddenly realising they had been left behind.

This is not the first time the animals have been filmed at the Miramar shopping centre.

In late December, footage shared on Instagram showed adult and baby specimens rooting around bins outside.

Locals could be heard gushing over the animals as they recorded them on their mobile phones.

But while they may appear cute, boars can become incredibly aggressive, particularly mothers travelling with their young, as they are naturally very protective and will fiercely react to any perceived threat.

A police officer in Madrid was bitten by a boar last year after the animal went ‘on a rampage’ through the streets.

Meanwhile, experts have warned they could also pose a huge health risk for Spain. 

In fact, they are often carriers of hepatitis E, an infection which causes around €50,000 deaths a year. 

Last year, a team of Spanish scientists discovered wild boar strains of hepatitis E viruses show ‘molecular similarity’ to human strains, suggesting the animals may be transmitting the illness to humans. 

“We need to be very careful,” said Jordi Serra-Cobo, one of the researchers. “If we don’t do anything, sooner or later we’ll have a big problem on a global scale.” 

The study was carried out in Barcelona, where around 3.2 million people live with 5-15 wild boars per kilometre squared.  

A 2015 study showed the animals could also transmit Japanese encephalitis and Nipah Virus – a deadly disease which currently has no cure. 

It is said that wild boars move into populated areas due to urbanisation of the countryside and the abandonment of farmland. 

In urban areas, they often tip bins over and eat their contents, so one prevention measure would be making it difficult for the boars to turn bins on their sides. 

For hunters or park rangers, the scientists also recommend washing your hand thoroughly with soap and water.