Wild boar pose mounting risk to Attica motorists

The mild weather and an abundance of food in the form of trash are driving up the number of wild boar roaming Attica and posing a serious driving hazard.

"We had reports from residents and hikers in the past, and seen signs, but never an actual animal," says Grigoris Gourdomichalis, head of the Athens-Piraeus Environmental Association, which has caught and released 15 of the beasts in the last few months alone.

"These are large animals and a collision with one can cause a lot of damage. The boar cross from the woods of Haidari to reach Schisto," he says, describing a route across several major thoroughfares. These include the Athens-Corinth national highway, where a section of the fencing has collapsed, allowing the boar to cross onto the road, he warns.

The association seeks to catch boar that are at risk or pose a threat to motorists, releasing them high up...