A herd of wild boars in the middle of a residential area at two in the morning — for residents of the Bratislava district Rača (živnosť — trade license) this is already a routine, not a one-time incident. Animals are spotted right under the houses almost every night, recently they were filmed on Pri vinohradoch street. In the neighboring Krasňany (živnosť — trade license) boars overturn trash bins, collect fallen fruits from trees, and look for water in dried-up streams.
It is hard to call this exotic for people. A wild boar is an animal weighing nearly 220 pounds, which can be aggressive, especially a female with piglets. Moreover, boars carry diseases dangerous to domestic animals. If you live in Rača (živnosť — trade license) or walk your dog near the forest, knowing what is happening and how to react will definitely help you.
Why boars came to the city
Local residents and hunters name several reasons that act simultaneously:
- Drought. Streams around Bratislava dry up, food decreases, so animals go where there is water and food.
- Active construction. New buildings in Rača (živnosť — trade license) reduce the natural habitat of animals, and forests are increasingly filled with people, cyclists, and riders.
- Easy access to food. Uncovered trash bins, compost pits, and gardens — a guaranteed dinner without effort.
- Overpopulation. Natural predators like wolves near the city are almost absent, so the population grows uncontrollably.
The scale of the problem is visible from the numbers: during the 2023/2024 hunting season in Slovakia, 60,493 wild boars were hunted — 45% more than planned. The population grew so much that the Ministry of Agriculture even issued an extraordinary permit for year-round shooting across the country: it was valid in the first half of 2024 due to the risk of African swine fever.
The problem is not only in Rača (živnosť — trade license)
Boars walk through residential neighborhoods in all parts of Bratislava bordering forests. Besides Rača (živnosť — trade license) and Krasňany (živnosť — trade license), complaints come from Nové Mesto (districts Koliba and Kramáre) and Dúbravka. For Koliba and Vinohrady, the city once allowed shooting and trapping of animals in non-hunting areas, and the execution was handled by Mestské lesy v Bratislave — “City Forests in Bratislava,” a municipal enterprise that manages city forests.
Here it is necessary to understand who is responsible for what. District self-governments do not have the authority to shoot animals — they only collect residents’ complaints and forward them to the District Office (Okresný úrad), which issues hunting permits. So an angry post on the district’s Facebook will not solve the problem, but an official police call starts the process.
What to do if you meet a boar
The city police advise following several rules:
- do not approach the animal, even if it seems calm;
- do not try to photograph it up close and do not feed it in any way;
- when meeting, calmly move away to a safe distance without sudden movements;
- keep your dog on a leash: a dog attacking a boar is the most common attack scenario.
If boars appear in a residential area, call the city police at 159 or the state police at 158. They coordinate actions with hunting associations and “City Forests.” Save the list of important phone numbers in Slovakia — in such situations, you need to find the number quickly. A detailed behavior algorithm when meeting a wild boar is also on the Bratislava Region portal.
As the climate dries and the city grows toward the forests, night guests in Rača (živnosť — trade license) will not disappear. If you see a boar — don’t be a hero with your phone, move away and dial 159.
