After the record result of wild boar hunting in the past hunting year, the question arises as to what happens to the hunted wild boar. Most end up in pans and on grills, but about every twelfth wild boar is unsuitable for consumption and is disposed of. Reason: radioactive pollution after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster more than 34 years ago.
Landkreis - That wild boars are radioactive is not news. Since the cloud from Chernobyl moved 34 years ago across Western Europe and radioactive precipitation (fallout) also fell on the district, increased values have been found in wild boars, but also in mushrooms. In particular, it is radio cesium (cesium 137), which has a half-life of 30 years, i.e. after 30 years it is only half as bright as at the beginning. However, the load that is still present is sufficient to make around 100 of the approximately 1200 wild boars shot for use in rendering carcasses. Nobody knows the exact number, however, as not all wild boar shot in the district are also examined and utilized in the district. One thing is certain for the hunters: "No contaminated meat is sold," says Markus Ortner, second chairman of the district group in the Bavarian State Hunting Association.
It is not predictable whether a wild boar will shine or not. There are always cases in which two animals are shot out of a pack, Jäger chairman Hartwig Görtler knows - one is hardly burdened, the other very strong. There are regional and temporal differences. Animals that are shot between September and December are more likely to be contaminated, but there are hardly any cases in spring. The hunters attribute this to the diet of the wild boars, which dig more in the ground during this time. There are regional differences, which coincide with maps of the fallout at the time: more in the west and north of the district, less in the east and south.
Every shot wild boar is examined for radiation
Every shot wild boar is examined for radiation, about every sixth is contaminated; about 100 so much that they have to be disposed of. Görtler explains that the limit values in Germany are strict at 600 becquerels per kilogram in Germany. Because of the strict controls, game can be bought and consumed safely, he emphasizes - it is a sustainable, regional product. And 100 percent checked, says Ortner. The hunters are allowed to hand over meat from slain animals in their environment. Wild boar meat from wholesalers, butchers or restaurants is randomly checked by the State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) - exceeding the limit values is extremely rare.
The wild boars are also examined for trichinae. The parasites can be dangerous to humans. However, they are extremely rare. Ortner: "I can't remember a case."
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