The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department mounted a wild pig capture operation at Shum Wan Road in Aberdeen today to reduce the number of wild pigs and protect public safety.

The department started the wild pig capture operation at 8pm this evening. Veterinarians used dart guns to capture seven wild pigs for humane dispatch through medicine injection. The operation was completed at 10pm.

Due to regular feeding at Shum Wan Road, wild pigs are accustomed to wandering along the road and looking for food from passers-by or even chasing vehicles, the department said.

It explained that from 2018 to October this year, 12 capture and relocation operations were conducted at the site, 35 wild pigs were relocated to remote locations in the countryside and contraception or sterilisation for 27 of them was carried out.

However, capture and contraception or relocation operations could not effectively control the wild pig nuisance.

The department emphasised that it will continue to carry out wild pig capture operations. Priority will be given to sites with large numbers of wild pigs, and those with past injury cases or with wild pigs that may pose risks to the public.

Calling on people not to feed wild pigs, the department stressed that they are not pets but potentially dangerous animals. Feeding will attract them to visit or gather in urban areas, posing danger to the feeder and other citizens, as well as causing nuisance to daily lives.

Wild pigs may also transmit zoonotic diseases, posing threats to public health, the department added.