The Boar Next Door: Vigilant Fencing in Suburban Berlin

Abstract

This chapter delves into the interplay between urban residents, wild boar and the erection of fences in suburban Berlin, Germany. We investigate how residents employ everyday boundary-making practices to protect their homes and gardens from wild boar intrusions, terming this phenomenon ‘neighbourhood vigilance’. These biosecurity measures are aimed not only at ensuring physical safety but also at protecting residents’ ways of life and their sense of ontological security. Conflicts arising from differing desires and aesthetic preferences prompt a re-evaluation of the role of fences in the neighbourhood’s dynamics. In conclusion, the chapter underscores that fences signify more than personal property boundaries; they also illustrate the existence of relationships that need management.

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