China has around two million wild boars, some of which caused panic in 2024, resulting in at least two deaths and several injuries. Some local governments are now offering rewards of up to 3,000 yuan (411 dollars) to wild boar hunters like Li Shangxue and his associates.
The group “City Hunters”, based in Weinan, Shanxi province, hunted down nearly a hundred of these animals in 2024, which can weigh up to 150 kg and have sharp tusks like blades.
“City Hunters” has over 260,000 followers on Duyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, where their videos accumulate millions of views.
Hunting and population control of wild boars in China
Li Shangxue explains that he has seen his family and friends’ fields completely devastated by wild boars in a single night. Armed with spears and knives, and accompanied by a dozen hunting dogs, the group stealthily advances on a steep slope.
China classified wild boars as a protected species between 2000 and 2023. “After being protected, their population increased rapidly,” explains Liu Duo, an official from WWF China.
These wild pigs “can adapt to very different environments” and their proliferation was favored by national efforts to restore forest ecosystems and the disappearance of natural predators.
Challenges and community reactions
Wild boars have ecological value. They are a food source for endangered species, such as the Siberian tiger, Amur leopard, and North China leopard.
Liu Duo believes that better protection for farmers and compensation for material damages would help local communities. At the same time, the natural habitat of wild boars is preserved.
The popularity of wild boar hunters on social media worries animal rights activists, who question the legitimacy of these private groups in wildlife management.
However, Zhang Tengfei, leader of the “City Hunters,” states that wild boars are a pest and that their work is a public service of “farmer protection”.
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