A French court ruled on Thursday that the wild boar Rillette could remain on her farm in Chaource, central France. Horse breeder Elodie Cappe rescued Rilette as a piglet.
The decision came after authorities had threatened to remove and euthanize the animal, sparking public outcry and support from animal rights groups.
Cappe found Rillette near her farm in April 2023 and cared for her after failed attempts to release her back into the wild. Rillette, now a fully grown female pig, lives happily among horses and dogs on the farm.
Cappe ensured the boar was sterilized, vaccinated, and had a secure enclosure, but authorities repeatedly denied her requests to keep the animal.
She faced potential fines of €150,000 and even prison time for keeping a wild animal.
The case gained significant attention, with a petition, local protests, and even support from French actress Brigitte Bardot. The Chalons-en-Champagne tribunal has now ordered local authorities to reconsider Cappe’s application and awarded her €1,500 in damages.
“This is a great victory. The court really wiped out the prefecture’s arguments. The fact that we had the media behind us really made a difference,” Cappe told news agency Reuters.
She plans to donate this money to charity.
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