Wild boar raids continue in Thessaloniki – “We will mourn the victims”
His intense concern for the massive reintroduction of wild boars in the municipal units of Pefko, Sykeo and Agios Pavlos, the mayor of Neapolis-Sykeo expresses, Simos Danielidis.
With a relevant letter to the Prime Minister, the leaders of the parliamentary parties, the competent ministries and the deputies of Thessaloniki, emit an “SOS” signal to deal with the situation, “which spreads fear and terror among residents who unsuspectingly find themselves faced with herds of wild boars in the yards of their homes and in common areas frequented by citizens and small children”, as it states.
This particular letter emphasizes that it should be taken “as last cry of agony before we mourn victims, after the successive phenomena of mass reappearance of wild boars in the peri-urban forest, by dozens, in the N.E. Pefkon, Sykeon and Agios Pavlos, between the Thessaloniki Ring Road and Georgiou Papanikolaou Avenue, and following the publicity the matter has received”.
Mr. Danielidis points out that recently the phenomenon of the massive reappearance of wild boars in the settlement of Pefki has taken on highly dangerous and alarming dimensions. they circulate by the dozens in the main streets and in the yards of the houses, while they have reached even the borders of the ring road.
According to the testimonies of residents, who videotaped and photographed wild boars in the yards of their homes, the phenomenon in July was at an upsurge as angels continued to descend from the adjacent forest of Sheikh Su. “The number of these wild animals has increased enormously, and the situation may soon be out of control due to its rapid increase,” the mayor stressed in his letter.
As he describes below, the numerous testimonies of residents of the Municipal Unit of Pefko about the presence of wild boars in the last period of time throughout the area are typical. Aherds of wild boars have been recorded in the main streets of Pefki and specifically on Papanikolaou Avenue, the central axis of Unity and the road that leads to the “G. Papanikolaou”, on Konstantinoupoleos Street, Agia Triados, Rodon and Dimokratia Streets, as well as on Irini Street, where the month of July crossed the point in front of the Municipal Store!
“Accordingly, wild boar angels are mentioned throughout the area and not exclusively near the forest, that is, they now pass through the entire urban environment, as for example on Oneiros, Platonos, Sokratos, Nikis, Angelon, Eftychias streets, etc. Their passage, especially through the central roads of the region, often leads to the interruption of traffic and there is a risk of causing serious traffic accidents”, he notes.
“Residents come face to face with wild boars”
“The situation is resolved with the assistance of the Police and the Fire Department when required. In fact, due to the rapid increase of wild boars in the area, numerous angels have formed, according to the recorded testimonies of the residents of the area, which each time consist of at least twelve wild boars, while at a point in the area, namely on Artemis Street in an uncovered area, it has been recorded . herd consisting of 24 wild boars, four large and 20 small!
Wild boars are foraging and foraging is often observed in waste bins or eating tree fruit, such as mulberries and figs. Many times it is also where residents come face to face with wild boars, and even more so children who play carelessly in various central parts of the area, or even outside their homes, as a result of which they are frightened and often do not react appropriately so that there is a serious risk to their safety”, says Mr. Danielidis.
The seriousness of the situation is about to be realized, in his letter the mayor attaches a map of the area with the points, as well as audio-visual material gathered with the assistance of the residents of the area.
“Danger of mourning victims”
“As it is easy to see, there is a great risk of mourning victims as the risk of serious traffic accidents is high,” he says, then it is noted that “the accident that happened on the Kilkis-N provincial road reminds us of this in a dramatic way. Petritsiou (11.7.2022), where two young people lost their lives and others were seriously injured due to wild boars”.
“This is exactly our great anxiety and fear, namely that a similar accident, even a fatal one, may occur on the Thessaloniki Ring Road, when the wild boars in packs of 15-20 people come down from the adjacent forest and attempt to separate the road. We do not want to imagine what can happen in such a case during the night and midnight hours on this road with very heavy vehicle traffic, and indeed at high speeds, given that the existing lighting is not in full operation every day, but neither and daily policing-police traffic is present. Thus, one can easily perceive what a tragic event can happen when, in the evening hours, drivers are suddenly faced with passing packs and collide with them. It is certain that we will mourn victims, something that everyone avoids…
This danger, however, also exists on Georgiou Papanikolaou Avenue, where – in any case – the ambulances, which transport patients, are forced to develop a high speed, while cars move at high speeds. vehicles and trucks.
“SOS message to deal with the situation”
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
In the most dramatic and intense way, therefore, with this letter, we are sending an “SOS” message to deal with the situation, which is spreading fear and terror among residents who are unsuspectingly faced with herds of wild boars in their residents’ yards and common areas . places frequented by citizens and small children.
So, once again we come back to the issue and call upon you to take immediate initiatives to control and curb the phenomenon before we mourn victims. Its outbreak poses risks for the residents, but also for the passengers who at any moment can find themselves facing packs on the pavement of the roads they cross.
Following all of the above, we ask you to immediately take your own actions to deal with the phenomenon and prevent any new tragic event.
With deep respect
The Mayor of Neapolis – Sykeon
Simos T. Danielidis
Vice President of the PED of Central Macedonia
President of the Social Policy Committee of KEDE”, the letter concludes.
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