Overview
- Animal welfare campaigner Gilly Jones says she has witnessed cameras pushed inches from sows’ snouts, piglets chased along roads and through car parks, and groups pinning pigs against hedges.
- Local leaders, including the New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association chair Andrew Parry-Norton, urge visitors to keep their distance and take photos using zoom rather than approaching the animals.
- The New Forest Code prohibits members of the public from touching or feeding the pigs.
- Jones has raised the issue at the Verderers Court and is asking local businesses and social media pages to stop promoting pig encounters that attract “piggy tourists.”
- Reports note this year’s pannage season has been extended to January, which campaigners say will prolong risks unless visitor behavior changes.