Police in central China have dispatched special teams to protect local farmers from attacks by wild boars during the harvest season as the animals have become increasingly aggressive when looking for food, local media report.

A 70-year-old farmer who lives outside Shiyan City in Hubei province said his cornfields have been damaged by the animals, causing losses of least 2,000 yuan (HK$2,400), the news portal Cnhubei.com reported.

Although locals tried to dispel the boars with loud noises and by keeping lights on during the nights, the animals continued to destroy their crops.