Wild boar attacks on humans can be fatal. For some, it caused death. That is why Shakira and her son are lucky to be safe after a scary encounter with some wild boars during their park visit in Spain.

The singer took to Instagram to share her traumatic wild boar encounter at a park in Barcelona, Spain. She was with her 8-year-old son, Milan, when the large, aggressive boars approached them. The animals stole her bag which had her phone in it.

In her Instagram story, she shared: “Look at how two wild boars which attacked me in the park have left my bag.”

Thankfully, it’s only the purse that seemed to have gotten the worst of the attack. Even though they were safe, it could have been a traumatic experience for her and most especially her son. She adds, “They were taking my bag to the woods with my mobile phone in it. They’ve destroyed everything.”

Shakira’s son, Milan, also appeared in her story. In the video, Shakira said, “Milan, tell the truth. Say how your mummy stood up to the wild boar.”

Even though it is unusual for wild boars to attack, it has become more common these days. Usually, the non-fatal wild boar attacks on people happen when they are cornered, threatened, or wounded in non-hunting circumstances.

Several European cities have already reported similar incidents. The Spanish police said that they have been receiving calls regarding wild boar complaints since 2016. It could be boars attacking dogs and disturbing city roads or by running into cars and holding up traffic.

Listed on the World Conservation Union’s most invasive species list, the wild boar does not have any problem adjusting to any environment. However, reports reveal that recently, they are drawn to city life.

In Barcelona, Berlin, Houston, and Hong Kong, groups of wild boar have been seen roaming around town at all hours. In Rome, boars can be seen scavenging the trash. The arrival of wild boar in town squares and city parks only means that we are already reaching the limits of urbanization. This is a crisis that humans have largely inflicted.

For years, boars have been busy fattening up on crops. But now, they already follow us into our dirty, sprawling cities. As their numbers are increasing as they migrate to the cities, this is becoming a huge health hazard. Boars carry a host of diseases – tuberculosis, hepatitis E and influenza A. And they can easily transmit these to humans.

In addition to spreading disease, wild boars cause thousands of road accidents each year. Just in January, a group of wild boars crossed a highway South of Milan, leading to a three-car pile-up killing one driver and injured several more.

Boars also destroy properties, devour ground-nesting animals, including endangered turtles’ eggs. And of course, crops, such as fragile vine roots and shoots are at risk as well. According to Italian farmers, they estimate the boar inflict €100m (£90m) worth of crop damage annually.

And of course, part of the reason for these migrations is because there is a continuous growth in the human population. The number of human beings has increased exponentially in the last decade to more than 10 million all across the continent.