READ MORE: How to travel like Sir David Attenborough - from Madagascan safaris to snorkelling among 40,000 puffins in WalesWant to holiday like a travel expert? Get free access to this subscriber article about the best Greek islands to visit (and the worst ones to avoid) when you sign up HERE to the Escape newsletter See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ERIN DEBORAH WAKS, TRAVEL WRITER Published: 09:52 BST, 14 August 2026 | Updated: 09:52 BST, 14 August 2026
Wild boars are invading beaches on the French Riviera, with holidaymakers warned to watch out for the hungry animals.The creatures are being drawn to snacks left by tourists and food in beach bins, as their numbers continue to soar.Feeding them is illegal, but officials say holidaymakers are still doing it.And it’s not just beaches under pressure – campsites, restaurants and holiday accommodation are also seeing an influx.The population is growing “faster than the authorities can control”, according to The Times. The French Federation of Hunters culled 881,372 boars in the 2024-25 hunting season, almost double the number from 20 years ago.Yet the creatures are breeding faster than authorities can tackle them. Wild boars are spreading across French beaches in increasingly large numbers Holidaymakers across beaches have fed the boars despite rules in place prohibiting thisSo far, no fatal accidents have been reported – but wild boars have previously been known to charge if they are frightened or in pain.Incidents involving wild boars have been reported in recent months, according to The Times, including disruption on Almanarre beach in Hyères in May this year when one entered the sea before running across the beach.The local community has attempted to curb the problem – in resort town Fréjus, a fine of €450 (£385) was introduced for anyone feeding them – but to no avail.Wild boars cause approximately €90 million (£77 million) in crop damage annually across France, with the cost covered by compensation from the French Federation of Hunters.It's not the first time wild boars have hit the headlines for wreaking havoc across Europe.At the end of 2025, wild boars disrupted flight operations in Spain after they entered an airport runway, leading to its temporary closure. Two flights were forced to divert their routes as a result of the wildlife incident at A Coruña Airport. It comes amid a rise in reports of wild pigs across Europe While no severe incidents have yet been reported in France, the number of animals is growingIn April this year, authorities in Warsaw deployed hunters to kill thousands of rampaging wild boars plaguing the city. City officials said the scale of the problem was unprecedented, with at least 3,000 wild boar recorded in Warsaw as of March 2026. Wildlife experts attribute the surge to several factors. These include the animals’ growing resistance to African swine fever since 2017, 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.
