A CONTRIBUTOR to a Dartmoor-focused Facebook page says his dog was attacked by a boar.

In a post to the Dartmoor Public Group page on Facebook, contributor Richard Blight said that a boar ‘flew out of the gorse’ and attacked his dog.

‘It knocked the dog over, luckily my dog was fast enough to escape with the boar chasing very close behind’ Richard said.

Richard says the attack occurred near Dr Blackall's Drive, not far from the hamlet of Poundsgate.

This latest incident comes as sightings of wild boar on the moor seem to be increasing.

Dartmoor National Park Authority says it is ‘working closely with landowners and other agencies to obtain further information and guidance’ after having received reports of wild boar sightings on Dartmoor.

A video of six boar roaming freely on Dartmoor posted by Bespoke Engaging Education Services (BEES UK) to its Facebook page has racked up more than 120,000 views.

Once native to the British Isles, boar became extinct in the 13th century.

The animal was reintroduced in the late 20th century as livestock.

Some boar escaped and populated several areas of the UK, including Kent, the Forest of Dean and Dorset.

It is not clear why sightings on Dartmoor have seemed to increase in the last few months.

There are those that allege animals are being purposely being released on Dartmoor, but this cannot be confirmed.

And opinion on whether having boar on Dartmoor would be a net-positive or a net-negative seems to be split.