A LOCAL boar keeper hopes to test birth control on his herd as an alternative method to control the feral pig population in the Forest of Dean.

Alastair Fraser, who keeps wild boar on his farm on Spout Hill, in Alvington will have vets apply a contraceptive vaccine to his animals sometime this May.

Similar vaccines have been used in the United States of America to control deer populations and Mr Fraser believes they could contribute to controlling the local wild boar population.

He said: “I don’t think this will be the total solution for the issue but it certainly could contribute to keeping the boar population down.

“The effectiveness of the treatment is said to last up to three years.

“Taking part in the test is of little risk to me, the only problem I will have if it fails is that I will end up with a lot of piglets as I don’t believe in killing them.

“I wouldn’t be taking part in it if I didn’t think there was a high chance of success.”

Animal Welfare Solutions, the firm undertaking the trial, has administered a contraceptive vaccine by a dart rifle to semi-feral ponies in Caerphilly, Wales.