Early morning gunshots fired in the valley

Warning: This blog isn't the happiest, and it is likely to upset animal lovers and anti-hunt activists.

This morning, around the bottom of our garden, we heard very loud scream-like 'squealing' noises echoing through the air. It made me/us feel physically sick. The noise wasn’t just a typical animal sound, it was the sound of what can only be described as innocent animals being pursued by hunters, and killed.

I saw a few armed Forestry Commission guys through the gap in the distant tree-line, all parked just off the roundabout down the road. All in big jackets (giacche), hi-viz gear, balaclavas and long green boots. They were positioning themselves at different ends of the fields near our garden and heading into the thick woods and olive groves in the valley-side. However, no warning of this activity had been given to us unsuspecting tenants, which was terrifying since the early-morning gunshots were so close they sounded like they were coming from just up the drive when reverberating around the premises - mainly due to the location of our rental being slightly further up the same valley.

Photo taken from a distance of Forestry Commission Huntsman employee checking on a freshly unalived wild boar

It was dead alright, and all I can think about is how sad this is and what about it's babies and partner?

Several more piercing gunshots were followed by frantic dog barking, which made me jump out of my skin, and, of course, my dog was terrified too. My landlady’s brother, Riccardo, had already told me that they cull the wild boars here, despite hunting being prohibited in the conservation zone. But honestly, seeing it for myself really made my stomach churn. I stupidly regretted looking out of my daughter's bedroom window to see such a sorry scene and tried to think of why this happens and how it supposedly protects the ecosystems and gives other wild species a better chance of survival. I witnessed a small and muscly dog tearing at one of the freshly shot boars, and not far from that, another large wild boar was still twitching in its final moments, all whilst the rest of the pack keenly headed its way.

As an animal lover and someone who feels deeply for animals, I cannot help but find this pretty upsetting.

Daisy dog is telling the Forestry Commission to go home and leave the wild boar alone!

It’s now 11:45 AM, and it seems to have stopped. Thank goodness for the sturdy steel fencing around our property, which separates us from the conservation zone behind it, so that the professional hunters employed by the council can't encroach any closer and we are also protected from any wild boar charging in this direction, as they are big blighters, quite aggressive if threatened and can take out a small child. Hence next door has an alarm system for exactly this, as they have a five year old and have experienced an impromptu visit by one whilst he was happily playing in the garden. Everyone was fine, thankfully. But as I mentioned in an earlier blog, their wild boar alarm system doesn't differentiate between the workers renovating their property and the hairy pigs that break in.

I would kill to have this daily noise nuisance stemming from our neighbour's garden disconnected (removed overnight :) This cinghiale alarm is too sensitive, like me.

At this time of year, the Forestry Commission carries out a culling of the cinghiale - wild boars that roam the woodlands and olive groves around the edges of Florence. Much like the deer living in Hampton Court in the UK when their rangale gets too big, bringing it under control for the sake of protecting the local ecosystem and for the residents' safety. And from what I’ve gathered, wild boar culling in Florence and across Tuscany is quite a controversial though necessary practice.

Tuscany’s lush countryside, with its oak forests and fertile agricultural land, is an ideal environment for wild boars, whose population has been growing rapidly in recent years.

One of the marksmen, keeping watch - in very hi-viz gear

There are a few reasons for this: fewer natural predators and ideal breeding conditions. While wild boars are a cherished part of Tuscany’s natural heritage, their growing numbers create big problems. They’re notorious for ruining vineyards and olive groves, and their overgrazing threatens delicate ecosystems. To make matters worse, they’re also becoming a hazard on rural roads, causing accidents and putting both animals and humans at risk.

So, while culling does have some benefits - mainly to help control the population and protect agriculture, it’s not a simple solution. It is also ironic when you think about it, because the local school mascot is a wild boar - all cute and cuddly in image, while in reality, these animals are aggressive/defensive and hunted regularly, their meat consumed in the best restaurants in town and considered a delicacy, often served in dishes like ragù di cinghiale (wild boar pasta).

Sorry to vegans and vegetarians – I still haven't crossed that ethical threshold yet, despite my attempts to

Also, for local farmers, it means protecting their livelihoods, and for some communities, controlled hunting can be a source of income and a way to preserve traditional practices. But of course, it’s not without its critics - me being one of them. Animal rights groups argue that culling is cruel and call for more non-lethal methods, like sterilisation, to be explored. Others worry that relying too heavily on culling doesn’t address the root causes of the population explosion, like changes in the animals' habitat.

Friendly wild boar school mascot sticker on our decaffeinated coffee mason jar

The situation gets even more complicated here in Tuscany, where wild boar meat is a prized local delicacy. So, there’s this strange tension between protecting local economies and adhering to ethical considerations about animal welfare, with an interesting part of the debate being how wild boars are viewed in the region. In Tuscany, the boar has long been celebrated in art and folklore, often as a symbol of courage and strength. This dual role as both a beloved cultural icon and a practical problem, highlights the broader tension between tradition and modernity in the area. And it’s not just farmers and hunters caught in this dilemma.

The pretty scenes with the olive farms, vineyards and pine forests featuring in the backdrop - the Cinghiale thrive until hunt day and if they're nimble on their trotters, for many more years after

Tuscany is renowned for its love of meat and it must be one heck of a challenge to be tee-total and a vegetarian if living here, but an increasing trend it seems! According to a recent survey, 6.5% of Italians were vegetarian in 2014, and by 2024, that number has risen to 7.2%, with 2.3% of people claiming to be vegan. Not sure if that relates to Tuscany per so, but it's a growing trend of non-meat eaters. So, it’s clear that views on animal rights are evolving, even in a place like Tuscany, where eating wild boar has been part of the culture for centuries. 

I guess, it's all a blend of tradition, ecology, and ethics, with the boar caught in the middle and sometime without escape... Gosh, after this morning's deadly antics, I am in need a Prosecco to drown my sorrows and it's only 12 PM - but it's 5 PM somewhere in the world :) Everything within reason, including drinking and wild boar culling, though the latter does harm animals. Most boars live in groups known as "sounders', largely made up of adult females and their young, I genuinely hope and pray that the remaining wild boars are free to roam and forage for many more years to come.