Shafaq News/ Wild boars are devastating lettuce farms in Iraq’sSaladin Province, with farmers in Samarra District reporting widespread cropdestruction and severe financial losses.
Haj Ahmed Mahmoud Al-Samarrai, a 79-year-old farmer in Samarra,described the challenges farmers are facing. “For generations, our familieshave relied on farming, but the wild boar problem has become unbearable,” hetold Shafaq News.
“They destroy entire fields overnight, uprooting crops andrendering them useless,” Al-Samarrai noted, estimating that a substantialportion of his 15-dunam (approximately 3.7 acres) lettuce farm has beendestroyed, which led to financial losses in the millions.
Farmers have attempted to protect their lands using various methodsbut with limited success. “The boars travel in groups, mainly targeting rootcrops like lettuce,” 45-year-old Youssef Jihad, another farmer told ShafaqNews. “They are strong and intelligent, making it difficult to trap them.”
“Even when we hunt them, their numbers continue to grow,” Jihadremarked.
Concerns extend beyond agriculture, with reports of wild boarsapproaching populated areas. Speaking to Shafaq News, Mohsen Abdullah, a hunterfrom the region, noted, “These animals were previously confined to remoteareas, but now they are appearing near urban outskirts.”
“Recently, one attacked my sons near the Samarra River,” Abdullahclarified.
The hunter also explained that efforts to control the wild boarpopulation have been challenging, as these animals are “highly aggressive andcan weigh between 150 to 250 kilograms (330-550 pounds).”
“We use various hunting techniques, including trenches andambushes, but they continue to multiply,” Abdullah lamented.
Samarra District Qaimaqam Arshad Abdul Salam told Shafaq News thatofficials are working on a strategy to manage the wild boar population. “We areconsidering controlled hunting campaigns and chemical deterrents incoordination with environmental and veterinary experts,” he said.
Authorities acknowledged the difficulty of the task due to the wildboars’ adaptability and habitat preferences. “They primarily inhabit valleysand densely vegetated areas, making eradication efforts complicated,” AbdulSalam pointed out.
Veterinary expert Omar Hassan, in turn, outlined two primarymethods for reducing the wild boar population: direct hunting and poisoning.“These animals are highly intelligent and often evade traps, making poisonedbait one of the more effective solutions,” he noted.