Police in Aviemore confirmed the animal was shot by a local landowner on Saturday night.

It is thought the beast may have been living wild for a number of months after several locals reported having seen it as early as April.

However, where the boar came from remains a mystery.

The boar evaded police capture

The runaway boar had been spotted by two police officers last week near the A86 between Newtonmore and Laggan.

Constable Andrew Irvine - a wildlife officer with Northern Constabulary - and a colleague, managed to corner the boar.

But in the darkness, it evaded capture and ran off into the forests at Badenoch.

The police said they did not know where the animal came from, although some farm-bred boars may be at large.

The hunt for the beast followed a search three months ago for a large male boar nicknamed McQueen who escaped from an abattoir in Dunblane, Perthshire, 100 miles away.