Mayor of Rome sues local government over roaming wild boars

Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The mayor of Rome has filed a criminal lawsuit against the regional government in which the city's located in a bid to stop wild boars from roaming freely in the area.

Mayor Virginia Raggi sued the Lazio regional government on Wednesday, saying the region has failed to effectively manage the animals.

She cited a 1992 law that says regions must control species of wild fauna in areas where hunting is forbidden.

Italian farmers rallied at the Montecitorio, the Italian Parliament building, to oppose an invasion of wild boars on their lands. They held signs that said "We sow, the boar reap" and "Town and country united against wild boar."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of wild boars roaming the country rose by 1.5% to about 2.3 million. Boar meat is a staple of Tuscan and Umbrian cuisine.

Officials say the animals cause an average of 10,000 road accidents every year in Italy.

Last October, Raggi ordered an investigation when police shot and killed a wild boar family in a children's playground.