ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Video footage showing a wild boar shot dead by men during a Newroz picnic in Sulaimani’s Khalakan has enraged the public, with people calling for animals to be protected and the men to be fined.
“Around 12 to 15 people followed the boar with pistols, shooting at it,” the man who submitted the video to Rudaw told Rudaw English on Sunday, claiming that the boar posed a life-threatening danger.
“What if it had killed a child? A woman? A man? Boars are a threat to the environment and people,” said the man, preferring to remain anonymous. “If an animal is dangerous, it should be killed.”
More than 30 gunshots can be heard in the one-and-a-half minute video. The animal was shot among families having Newroz picnics, some of whom were also seen screaming and running away from the scene.
“Not that many bullets were shot in the Daesh war (Arabic acronym for Islamic State or ISIS),” wrote one user on Facebook.
Sulaimani Tameer, founder of the Duhok-based Kurdistan Organization for Animal Rights Protection (KOARP) told Rudaw English that the law allows for the killing of boars, “but we are against it.”
“Believe me, if you stand among bears, tigers or snakes, if you don’t attack them and annoy them no animal or wild animal is a danger,” Tameer said, adding that the destruction of the environment is pushing wild animals into urban areas.
“Sometimes there isn’t enough food in the wild, that’s why they comes down to where the people are.”
People expressed their outrage after the video was published on social media, calling for the perpetrators to be punished.
“”I am calling on the regional government to do something about this disgusting and barbarous incident, these savage people should be punished,” Hiwa Ahmed said under the video published by Rudaw Kurdish.
“The environment board should fine this “hero” because the boar was going away. I don’t know why he killed him, I hope the government fines people like that,” Halmat M. Amin said.
“He should be in the boar’s position and see how he likes it when someone comes shooting at him. The pig is in its own environment, you are invading his space,” said another user, Sara Mohammed.
“Tell me the difference between killing a human being and that boar? Does that boar not like to live, feel pain, have blood or have piglets waiting for her? Damn humanity,” added Rashwan Koye.
