Hunter dies after wild boar he was trying to shoot gored him

Around 500,000 wild boars are killed each year in Germany, but experts say it is not enough to stop growing population

The boar's whereabouts are unknown and it wasn't clear if the animal was injured, police said (PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP/Getty Images)

A hunter has died after being attacked by a wild boar he was trying to shoot, police in Germany have said.

The 50-year-old man was on a boar hunt with a dozen others near the northeastern town of Greifswald on Sunday when he was attacked by the male boar.

Witnesses said he fired off a shot and then moved into some reeds, where he apparently encountered the pig.

The man suffered serious injuries to his left thigh and fell into nearby water, police said.

He died at a hospital and hasn't been identified.

Police said the boar's whereabouts are unknown, and it wasn't clear if the animal was injured.

About 500,000 wild boars are killed each year in Germany, but experts say that's not enough to stop the population from growing.

Additional reporting by Associated Press