Wild Boar Runs Wild in Cracow

In a scene that seemed more redolent of the film American Werewolf in London than a typical afternoon in Krakow, a wild boar was shot down on Friday after attacking two people.

The tusked miscreant was first spotted in the whereabouts of ul. Kobierzynskiej when police were alerted by a yelling man who had been mauled by the mammal. Another man who had collapsed nearby after being hit by the boar was found lying on the pavement in a state of shock.

Police endeavoured to catch the animal, but it gave them the slip by jumping into the River Vistula. Fearing further accidents, the police contacted the local branch of the Krakow Circle of Hunters (Krakowskie kola lowieckie). Later in the evening, the boar was shot in Zablocie, not far from the Schindler Factory.

The killing of the boar aroused some dismay amongst Cracovian animal-lovers. As a means of explanation, Jan Bachrach, president of the Podwawelskie branch of the hunting association, told the Gazeta Wyborcza daily that catching a boar is "very difficult", and that the large numbers of boar in the area make it necessary to eliminate a certain number each year. Earlier this month a boar was spotted in the centre of town beneath Wawel Castle.

However, Mr Bachrach added that it was highly uncharacteristic for boars to attack first, and that clashes usually occurred when people panicked and attempted to beat away the animal. His advice if one encounters a boar is to remain calm and behave normally.