France, Jan. 13 -- A French court convened on Monday to rule on the fate of a wild boar adopted by a horse-breeder in 2023. The sow, known as "Rillette", has become a cause celebre in France and abroad after officials declared her a health and safety risk and threatened to put her down.

Wild boars are generally viewed as pests in France - farmers say they damage crops, health officials argue they spread disease. And they can also cause fatal car accidents by crossing the road at inopportune moments.

They're hunted for their meat, which most often finds its way into sausages or a kind of spread known as "rillettes".

But one wild boar has captured the hearts of animal lovers both in France and abroad after local authorities in the Aube r...