A 67-year-old woman has been left injured after a wild boar attacked her while she was sunbathing at a beach in the Costa del Sol.
Loading…
The woman received what has been described as a minor leg injury after the disorientated animal rushed out of the sea and onto the El Albir beach, located just north of Benidorm, this morning (3 June).
Footage from the shoreline shows tourists fleeing as the boar ran over beach towels and along the sand, with lifeguards managing to chase the animal away from the busy beach and crowded seafront bars and cafes before it caused any further issues.
Lifeguards had sounded the alarm to alert beachgoers to the boar after it was first spotted in the water by boat crews, who tried and failed to catch it.
The animal is thought to have made its way into the beach area from the nearby Serra Gelada Natural Park, which consists of over 5,000 acres of protected coastline in the municipalities of Benidorm, Alfaz del Pi and Altea, though it is not known exactly how or why it ended up in the sea.
Emergency services were alerted to the situation just after 11am local time, and the injured woman was taken to a local health centre to be treated. Medics told local press that her injury is thought to have happened when the wild boar charged towards her and collided with her around where its teeth are.
Though the injury was minor, the woman had her leg wound cleaned as a precaution and is thought to have been told to take antibiotics to help prevent an infection from setting in.
Wild boar have excellent hearing and sense of smell, but they are known to have very poor eyesight, according to the Scottish Wildlife Trust. They are good swimmers but are primarily nocturnal animals – suggesting it's unusual for this particular creature to have been out and about while tourists were enjoying the sun.
It's unclear whether the wild boar was successfully captured following its stunt on the beach, but news of its attack comes just days after it emerged that the nearby holiday resort of Denia has been seeking alternative plans to tackle wild boar after cage traps proved unsuccessful.
The animals were found to be roaming the streets at night to look for food, so local councillors have now confirmed they are in contact with expert archers to help protect the town.
