Barcelona was the setting for an unusual early morning sighting on Wednesday, when a TikTok user filmed a wild boar sniffing around construction works at the end of La Rambla. The video, shared by user MikeDeal, shows the animal near Plaça del Teatre, close to the Santa Mònica section of the boulevard.
The sighting prompted online reactions, with many asking how the animal reached the city centre. Officials have suggested it may have come from the smaller wild boar colony on Montjuïc mountain, which is closer to central Barcelona than Collserola.
The animal was seen close to the Columbus Monument, a location that has drawn attention to the wider issue of wild boar overpopulation across Catalonia. The case adds to ongoing concern about how these animals move into urban areas as well as rural ones.
In December 2025, Òscar Ordeig, the Catalan government's Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, said there are "too many wild boars in Catalonia". He estimated the population at around 125,000 in winter, with numbers rising significantly during breeding seasons.
The government continues to look for ways to manage the growing population and its impact. For more local reporting, see our news coverage.