Last year, German hunters shot approximately three thousand wild boars contaminated with radioactive Caesium-137, as reported by the newspaper Bild, citing figures from the Federal Administrative Office.
“A total of 2,927 wild boars, including piglets, <…> were disposed of due to excessive radiation levels,” the article states.
The publication clarified that these contaminated animals result from elevated background radiation in certain forests across the federal states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Thuringia, and Saxony, a remnant of the Chernobyl disaster. According to a spokesperson for the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Caesium-137 has a half-life of about 30 years, which is why it persists in the soil. Plants, and particularly mushrooms which form part of the wild boar diet, absorb it from there.
Elevated levels of Caesium-137 were detected in the meat of the boars taken by hunters, rendering them unfit for sale. Consequently, the authorities compensated the hunters with €204 for a mature animal and €102 for a piglet.
About the Author
