Possible thoughts of wild boar killed at Seoul palace

"I smelled something really tasty Wednesday night. It was very strong. I can smell something from 8 kilometers away. It`s difficult to find acorns on the mountain these days, and I`ll have to hunt by night to fill my empty stomach."

"I am a 3-year-old sturdy male boar measuring 1 meter long and weighing 82 kilograms. I`m fairly strong now, but life on Mount Bukhan is getting increasingly tough. It`s already difficult to find feed, but I have too many competitors. As of last year, a report said some 100 to 150 wild boars were living on Mount Bukhan."

"It seems I`ve walked at least 10 kilometers. After passing the hill in Seoul`s Jeongneung-dong neighborhood, which oversees Kookmin University at a distance, I crossed through a forest path over Samcheong Tunnel. The forest ends here. I see no signs of humans on this two-lane road. Residential areas to the west of Changdeok Palace looked silent as well. As I passed a drainage on the northwest side of Changdeok, I reached the backyard of the ancient palace. I`ve placed signs to designate my turf on a number of trees."

"Damn! A patroller who sensed me Thursday night at last confirmed the image of me passing through the northwestern gate of Changdeok Palace at 5:30 a.m. Police and firefighters were urgently mobilized at 9:30 a.m. Hunters and eight hunting dogs were seen at the scene from noon. They spotted me around 2:10 p.m. They were fiercely chasing after me. I was caught in the backyard of the Shinseonwon pavilion some 10 minutes later. I resisted but couldn`t get over the power of these trained dogs. I feel a warm fluid on my neck and am gradually losing my vision...

These might have been the thoughts of a wild boar that appeared at Seoul`s Changdeok Place in the Waryong-dong neighborhood and was bitten to death by hunting dogs Thursday. The palace`s management sealed off the backyard of the ancient royal palace to begin an operation to capture the wild animal.

The Seoul branch chief of the Korea Wild Animal and Plant Service said Friday, “If a wild boar is caught by police or firefighters, it gets killed, and if caught by a civilian, the person can claim ownership.”

Wild boars that wander into urban areas tend to be younger at age 1 or 2. They are believed to take the risk in cities because of their inferior strength and failure to find food in the wild.

A source from the nature and resources division of the Environment Ministry said, “We`re conducting a close inspection of the wild boar population and habitats, especially around the city center, and will present the results by year’s end,” adding, “We`re devising measures to capture them with tools other than rifles in urban areas.”

redfoot@donga.com