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Hong Kong environmental issues
Hong KongHealth & Environment

Explainer | What do you do if faced with a wild boar? The Post asks Hong Kong experts after an attack on a boy and a woman

  • Boar expert says it is very rare for animals to attack humans unless threatened or injured
  • There have been 220 boars killed this year in about 79 operations, almost double the number put down in 2022

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WIld boars are only likely to attack humans if scared or injured, experts say. Photo: Felix Wong
Lars Hamer
A wild boar was killed by Hong Kong authorities on Friday after it attacked a boy and a woman near Fo Tan MTR station in Sha Tin district.
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Hong Kong is no stranger to the animals causing problems in urban areas as the city averages about 90 nuisance reports a month.

The Post spoke to experts to understand why boars would attack humans and what attracts them to urban areas.

1. Why would a boar attack humans?

“It is very rare for a wild boar to attack people unless they are threatened or injured,” Roni Wong Ho-yin of the Hong Kong Wild Boar Concern Group said.

“According to some reports, the boar in this incident bit a boy after he tried to obstruct it with his bag.

“We believe the boar felt threatened and naturally chose to protect itself.”

Wildlife officers track down and tranquillise the wild boar that attacked a boy and a woman outside Fo Tan MTR station in Sha Tin. Photo: Handout
Wildlife officers track down and tranquillise the wild boar that attacked a boy and a woman outside Fo Tan MTR station in Sha Tin. Photo: Handout
A police spokesman said a 15-year-old boy was bitten on the hand and a woman on the leg. The attack happened near the Lok King Street exit of Fo Tan MTR station in Sha Tin district at around 11.15am.
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