Srinagar, Jan 17 : Four civilians were injured on Saturday in a wild boar attack in Tral town of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police officials said.

An official said that four civilians were injured after a wild boar attacked pedestrians at the Tral market in Pulwama.

The incident triggered panic among locals as the animal reportedly entered the busy market area and attacked people at random.

All injured individuals were promptly evacuated to a nearby hospital, where they are undergoing medical treatment.

Their condition was said to be stable.

Authorities said the situation was swiftly brought under control with the intervention of concerned teams.

Wild boars, introduced to Kashmir in the 1840s for hunting, are now considered an invasive pest causing habitat damage and competing with the endangered Hangul deer, despite being declared locally extinct in 1984, they reappeared in Kashmir around 2013.

Wild boars resurfaced in Kashmir after 30 years, in 2013, and their number has been growing ever since, causing concern among the local residents and wildlife experts.

Although an official census is yet to be taken, forest officials estimate about 200 wild boars in Kashmir.

The fast-breeding boars have been sighted in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri, Limber, Lachipora, and Balwar.

They have also been sighted in Dachigam National Park in Kashmir, which, according to wildlife experts, could disturb the ecology of the critically endangered hangul, as both animals share the same habitat.

Their resurgence, potentially linked to warmer winters, threatens agriculture, ecosystems, and native wildlife, with recent sightings extending to urban areas like Srinagar's Tulip Garden and farmlands.

Wild boars are now recognised as a significant threat, particularly to the Hangul population.

Wild boars cause habitat degradation through rooting and foraging damage to natural habitats affecting food and water for native species.

They destroy crops like saffron and apple orchards by digging up roots.

Inside the Dachigam National Park, they compete directly with the Hangul deer for resources. They can carry diseases harmful to livestock and humans.

/IANS