Idyllic English villages have been plagued by invasions of privacy and anti-social tourists this year, and the latest victims of intrusive rural tourism are no different in asking visitors to keep their snouts out of their business. It’s a population of pigs that are suffering, according to residents in the New Forest, in the south of the UK, where an autumn tradition of releasing domestic pigs so they can forage for acorns has turned into an Instagram attraction.
The famous 11th-century King of England, William the Conqueror, founded the New Forest and granted locals’ animals snuffling rights. The so-called right to “pannage” or “Common of Mast” serves a dual purpose: feeding the pigs tasty acorns and chestnuts that are toxic to free-roaming horses and cattle, and preventing the poisonous plants from rooting.
The season usually begins in September, and this year it has been extended until 4 January 2026 thanks to a bumper crop or “mast year.” But locals fear that will only prolong the period during which photographers repeatedly hassle their picturesque pigs. Some of the native breeds, like the auburn-haired Tamworth, the black-and-white Gloucestershire Old Spot, and the striped British Saddleback, are particularly photogenic and are often depicted in pastoral art. Today, influencers love them too, especially when they sport a nose-ring to prevent them from burying their snouts too deeply into the soil.
New Forest animal safety advocate Gilly Jones spoke to the Daily Mail, describing “the constant, and I mean constant, plaguing they are suffering by the ‘piggy tourists’.” Visitors unaccustomed to the sight of pigs in the wild have abandoned cars and chased piglets down busy roads, she said, as well as trapping animals “against hedges” and poking cameras “within three inches of their snouts.”
@youngtorri Pannage season in The New Forest 😂 🌰this where commoners release their domestic pigs for 2 months to eat all the acorns and chestnuts which are poisonous to the ponies 🍁This practice dates back to 1079 🐖 around 600 pigs are released each autumn @The New Forest #thenewforest #pannage #pigs #england #burleynewforest ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Some local hospitality businesses, such as Airbnbs, have been advertising the pannage phenomenon as part of the New Forest’s appeal and charm. It’s a balancing act, New Forest Commoners Defence Association chair Andrew Parry-Norton explains: “We appreciate people want to come and see the pigs during pannage season, but we ask for them to respect the pigs – and all the other livestock in the Forest – while doing so.” Parry-Norton advises giving the animals some space, using a zoom lens or function, and keeping dogs on leads.
Speaking to The Independent, he said: “When encountering pigs in the New Forest, members of the public should look but not touch, keep a respectful distance and avoid any form of interaction with them,” explaining that it is “essential the pigs are allowed to carry out their work without disturbance.”
