Authorities in Warsaw are facing mounting criticism after deploying hunters to kill thousands of rampaging wild boars plaguing the city.
The operation, launched earlier this month, targets around 3,000 animals across the capital, including in districts such as Bemowo and Mokotów, which have seen a rise in sightings.
Specialist teams equipped with dart guns respond to reports logged on a mobile phone app, tranquilising the animals before killing them with lethal injections.
However, the methods have sparked anger after boars were killed in residential areas, including playgrounds, and their carcasses were seen being placed in wheelie bins.
The backlash prompted protests outside city hall, with hundreds of residents and animal rights activists demonstrating against the cull.
Dorota Sumińska, 69, a vet and newspaper columnist, told The Telegraph: ‘What is happening in Warsaw recently is pathology and barbarism.
‘It frightens me that something like this was allowed to happen.’
City officials say the scale of the problem is unprecedented, with at least 3,000 wild boar recorded in Warsaw as of March 2026.
Authorities in Warsaw are facing mounting criticism after deploying hunters to kill thousands of rampaging wild boars plaguing the city
Edward Warchocki, a humanoid robot dubbed an ‘influencer’, spotted chasing off a herd of wild boars inthe polish capital
Wildlife experts attribute the surge to several factors, including the animals’ growing resistance to African swine fever since 2017, as well as reduced human activity during COVID lockdowns and EU restrictions on relocating boars to forests.
The animals have also become more accustomed to urban environments and are increasingly entering the city in search of food, sometimes being fed by residents.
Some locals have criticised the decision to use lethal methods.
One resident said a recent cull in Białołęka took place outside a school for autistic children.
She told the newspaper: ‘My neighbours often report encounters with wild boars because they are afraid, even though they’ve never actually interacted with them. The boars were sleeping under a tree. They were killed very quickly, with stun darts and then a lethal injection.
‘Their determination [to kill the animals] was frightening… they should show respect when taking the life of a living creature.’
One more said they did not agree with the ‘mindless killing’ of animals.
Officials say growing boar populations are a wider European issue, with countries including Spain, Germany, France, and Estonia carrying out regular culls.
In Britain, wild boar are culled annually in the Forest of Dean to maintain a population of around 400.
Experts say milder winters linked to climate change and a decline in natural predators such as bears and wolves have contributed to the increase.
The animals have also become more accustomed to urban environments and are increasingly entering the city in search of food, sometimes being fed by residents
The cull has also drawn attention online after footage circulated of a humanoid robot, Edward Warchocki, appearing to chase boars through a Warsaw car park, although there are no plans for it to be used in the operation
Karol Podgórski, head of Warsaw’s culling programme, defended the operation.
He told the newspaper: ‘I understand the concerns of animal rights advocates, but in a situation with so many conflicts between wild boars and people, we, as authorities, must take steps that are not liked by part of society.’
He added that the number of animals justified the measures and said non-lethal options are used where possible.
‘Another issue is that wild boars also cause damage in the city. They dig up lawns, destroy fences, attack dogs and damage cars. And damage caused by wild boars is not covered by insurance,’ he said.
The cull has also drawn attention online after footage circulated of a humanoid robot, Edward Warchocki, appearing to chase boars through a Warsaw car park, although there are no plans for it to be used in the operation.
