Environment Life

Wild boar numbers to increase in Scotland, report finds

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September 3, 2025
3 min read

Wild boar numbers to increase in Scotland, report finds

Scotland’s wild boar numbers are expected to significantly rise over the next half-century, according to a new report. Researchers expect the numbers of the animals to climb from the current amount of 1,472 to about 2,400 by 2075. That is an increase of over 60%.

The research came from the James Hutton environmental research institute, King’s College London, and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The modelling also reveals that they will expand their territory by an additional 131 square km (50 square miles) every year. The research was carried out by the James Hutton environmental research institute, King’s College London and the Zoological Society of London. The report was published in the journal Science Direct and is likely to help with decision making over how wild boar populations are managed in the future.

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Wild boar were once extinct in the UK but work in the 1970s has brought them back, allowing them to re-establish themselves. They can now be found in the West Highlands and Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland. Other populations of the animals be found throughout Perthshire, North Stirling, Moray, and Aberdeenshire. Accidental escapes and illegal introductions are believed to have also played a part in their rewilding.

These animals are valuable to ecosystems, helping to root through soil. They can also support communities through tourism and hunting. But they can also pose challenges including diseases, injuries to pets, loss of crops, and damage to gardens and land.

To better understand how the population in Scotland might change, the team considered their behaviour, land cover, and environmental variability. This study, they say, is the first to give a detailed simulation of the species in Scotland, believing it could help support future compensation schemes for anyone affected by the animal or helping with any targeted culling.

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