The wild boar is a cloven-hoofed animal belonging to the suborder Porciniformes (family “pigs”). Other names wild boars: “boar”, “wild pig”. Wild boars are believed to be the ancestors of modern domestic pigs. Despite such close “kinship,” boars are strikingly different from domestic pigs. Read this article and you will learn many interesting facts about these animals.

The wild boar is a relative of the domestic pig, but is very different from the usual domestic animals.

Boars have a dense and muscular build. Their limbs are longer than those of ordinary pigs. The boar's head is elongated and wedge-shaped. The ears are erect and large. Males (cleavers) have well-developed fangs above and below, which gives them a fierce and warlike appearance. The body of a wild boar is covered with thick fur, which looks like a kind of mane on its back. IN winter time The coat is dense and becomes sparser as the weather gets warmer. The color of the fur can be grayish, brown, or even black. Boars exhibit acromelanism (black coloration of the muzzle, tail and limbs). In the territory Central Asia There are animals with a lighter, reddish tint of fur.

Piglets up to six months of age are colored differently than adult boars. Their fur is an alternation of stripes of light, brown and yellow color. A baby wild boar blends into the terrain and is almost invisible to predators.

Habitat

• the entire territory of Europe;
• Asia Minor, Middle East;
• northern part of Africa;
• India;
• east and southeast Asia.

The wild boar lives in any terrain, with the exception of mountains and pigs.

Wild boar is not found in steppe regions and mountainous areas. The wild boar is also found in the southern part of Siberia: in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the south of the Irkutsk region. But Transbaikalia with its hills and hills is not to the taste of these animals.

Wild boars also live in North America. They were brought to the United States from Europe for hunting purposes. The population of Australian wild pigs is interesting. These are feral domestic pigs that lead the same lifestyle as their wild European counterparts. Of course, this is not a separate species of wild boar.

Unfortunately, in many regions the forest boar has been exterminated completely or almost completely. In England, wild boars were exterminated in the 13th century, in Denmark – in the 19th century. In Russia, the number of wild boars declined catastrophically by the thirties of the last century. In the 50s of the twentieth century, systematic care for wild boars and restoration of the animal population began. Now you can find them even in such a densely populated area as, for example, Losiny Island near Moscow.

Types of wild boars

It is believed that the pig is the second animal domesticated by man (the first was the dog). As for the species diversity of these animals living in wildlife, then 9 of their varieties are known.

• Boar . Lives in European and Asian forests. Introduced by humans to the American continent. About 25 subspecies of this animal are known.
• Warthog. The warthog's habitat is African savannas. It received this name due to the growths of skin on its face. The animal is quite large. Its height reaches 0.85 m, weight – up to 150 kg.
• River brush-eared pig. Lives in Central Africa. This pig sports a colorful outfit. She has red fur on her back white stripe. Its diet is quite varied. Along with plant foods, cyst-eared pigs do not disdain carrion and feed on small mammals, birds, and insects.
• Lesser brush-eared pig lives in Madagascar and the east of the African continent. The weight of the animal is about 70 kg.
• Big forest pig lives in equatorial African forests. The weight of the animal is 200 kg or more. This species was discovered relatively recently, at the beginning of the 20th century. The diet of these pigs is exclusively vegetarian.
• bearded pig lives in southeast Asia, in the mangrove forests of the Indonesian islands. It differs from its well-fed “relatives” in having a more “athletic” physique. The weight of the animal does not exceed 50 kg. Like most pigs, bearded pigs are omnivores.
• Babirussa also inhabits the islands of Indonesia. The height of the animal at the withers is 0.8 m, weight – 80 kg. It is characterized by low fertility (no more than 2 piglets). It is a rare species (about 4 thousand pigs of this species remain in nature).
• Javan pig.
• Pygmy pig- the smallest representative of this family. Its length is no more than 0.65 m, and its height is no more than 0.30 m.

There are more than a dozen species of wild boar, all of which differ greatly in appearance.

Dimensions and weight

They depend on the habitats of these animals. The smallest representatives of the boar tribe live in southern India and southeast Asia. A few words about how much a boar weighs. The maximum weight of adult boars does not exceed 45 kg. But wild boars living in Europe are much larger and more massive. Carpathian individuals, for example, have a mass of 200 kg. The largest pigs are found in Eastern Europe: from the Carpathians to the Urals. The maximum weight of a boar is about 300 kilograms. And the “record” registered weight of a boar is 320 kg. Impressive animals can be found in Italy and France ( average weight 150 and 230 kg, respectively).

The average body weight of a wild boar varies from 80 to 120 kilograms, with a body length of 900 - 2000 cm. The height at the withers is on average 550-1100 cm.

The average weight of a wild boar is about 100 kg.

Life expectancy, reproduction characteristics

IN natural conditions wild boars live on average from 10 to 12 years. The lifespan of animals in captivity increases to 20 years. The mating season for these animals is November-December. By the beginning of the rut, male boars become overgrown with fat and additional muscle mass on the sides, 20 - 30 mm thick. This “armor” protects boars from the fangs of competitors who also compete for the attention of brides.

During estrus, a female boar-pig carefully marks her own territory with the help of saliva and secretions that are secreted from the glands. The male finds the female using these marks.

During mating season Choppers lose fat, their bodies become covered with wounds from numerous tournaments with other males. But the reward for the winner is a “harem”, which includes from 3 to 8 females. A wild pig bears its offspring for approximately 115 days. Farrowing occurs in April. The first litter of a female usually consists of 2 to 3 piglets, but there are also “record holders” with 10-12 babies in the litter. 2-3 days before farrowing, the pig separates from the herd and prepares the place for birth. She digs a small hole in the ground, covering it with branches.

A wild pig produces offspring ranging from 3 to 8 individuals.

The average weight of newborn piglets is 0.75 – 1.0 kg. For 5-6 days they stay next to their mother in an improvised nest. Then the family reunites with the herd. The piglet follows its mother everywhere. A wild pig feeds piglets with milk for up to 3.5 months. A wild boar grows up to 5-6 years of age. Females become sexually mature at one and a half years, males much later. They start caring for ladies at the age of 5-6 years.

Lifestyle, nutrition

The wild pig is a herd animal. A group of wild boars consists of 20 - 50 individuals. They have a matriarchy: the group is led by a female. The boar stays aloof, joining the female company only at the beginning of the mating season. Animals feed in the morning and evening time. Day and night serve as a time of rest for them. Pigs are cautious and timid. Their eyesight is not the best, but their hearing and sense of smell are excellent.

The specificity of their diet is due to the fact that wild boars dig the ground with their nose.

• They love to eat roots, bulbs and tubers of plants.
• Wild boars feed on young shoots of bushes, eat leaves, collect fallen fruits, and do not refuse nuts.
• From animal food, wild boars eat worms and frogs. This “gourmet” never misses an opportunity to feast on carrion and sometimes destroys bird nests located within his reach.
• Sometimes a wild boar harms people by destroying fields and crops.

Wild boars love plant foods, but do not disdain worms and frogs.

Wild pigs are excellent swimmers and runners. Even a wide river or lake is not a serious obstacle for them. Considering its large body weight, an adult animal is quite dangerous.

Enemies

All large predators are considered enemies of wild boars. But, given the impressive size and weight of the wild boar, even tigers prefer not to get involved with adult males, not to mention wolves or bears. A large boar can defeat a bear or a wild cat without much difficulty. Fangs and hooves are quite formidable weapons of a wild boar. Therefore, young individuals usually become victims of predators.

Features of hunting

Man is one of the most dangerous enemies of the wild boar. A trophy in the form of a boar's head with tusks is the object of every hunter's dreams. Wild boar meat is tasty and healthy. Bristles are also used for the production of brushes, razor brushes and combs. Boar bristles are also suitable for making painting brushes.

Hunting wild boars is a very popular pastime.

They hunt forest pigs with dogs. Horseback hunting for wild boars is popular in forest-steppe regions. This occupation is quite dangerous. The animal itself is not aggressive, but if you frighten or anger it, it can easily stand up for itself. This is especially true for females with cubs.

Diseases

Here is a list of the most dangerous diseases of these animals.

Plague

The most dangerous disease wild boars, not sparing animals of all ages. The causative agent of this disease is a filterable virus. The disease is highly contagious. In a frozen boar corpse, the virus persists for up to six months, in a decomposing body - for several months. Since pigs live in herds, infection of one animal can lead to widespread disease and mortality. The virus also affects domestic pigs. The meat of a sick animal is edible after boiling for 1 - 1.5 hours. It is forbidden to bring shot carcasses into populated areas. Disinfection of meat is carried out in specialized enterprises.

Disposal of the corpses of dead animals is carried out by covering them with lime, followed by burying them to a depth of two meters. Prevention of mass infection of wild pigs is the shooting of sick individuals, as well as vaccination of animals.

Wild boars often suffer from plague, which greatly reduces their numbers.

Scabies

Affects animals during times of famine. By eating the corpses of animals affected by scabies, the boar itself becomes ill. By multiplying in the skin, the scabies mite causes hair loss and severe skin itching. Animals that stray from the herd are shot. The skin of the killed animal is disposed of. The meat is considered conditionally edible.

Trichinosis

When eating the carcasses of animals affected by trichinosis, the wild boar becomes infected with this disease. In this case, muscle tissue suffers. A disease such as helminthiasis also affects wild boars.

To restore the population of wild pigs after the mass mortality caused by wild boar diseases, it is advisable to ban hunting of these animals for 2-3 years. The disturbance factor of animals must be minimized to avoid their mass migration.

Boars are a type of wild pig. These animals belong to the order Artiodactyls, but, unlike other representatives of the order, they belong to a special suborder of non-ruminants, which also includes hippopotamuses.

Wild boar (Sus scrofa).

The wild boar is a large animal; the weight of seasoned males can reach 250 kg. The appearance of these animals is quite typical: boars are stocky and do not exceed 1 m in height, the body is quite thick, the neck is short and wide, the head is large with an elongated movable snout. The boar's ears are quite wide, and the eyes, on the contrary, are small. The legs are relatively short, but this does not prevent wild boars from running fast and jumping high. The body of the animal is covered with coarse gray-brown hair; the thin and short tail ends in a tassel. Like many wild pigs, wild boars have a pair of tusks protruding from their mouths, which they use for food and protection.

Wild boars are distributed throughout Eurasia from Western Europe to Far East. Wild boars are forest dwellers; their favorite habitats are broad-leaved forests, especially oak forests, in which wild boars feed on acorns. But these animals can be found in the forest-steppe and in reed thickets along river floodplains.

Wild boar on the river bank.

Crows look for ticks on the body of a wild boar that has just taken a mud bath.

Boars are omnivores. The basis of their diet is plant food - root vegetables, bulbs and succulent rhizomes of plants, mushrooms, as well as all kinds of dry and juicy fruits (acorns, nuts, chestnuts, wild fruits and berries); in winter, these animals additionally eat branches and grass. In addition, wild boars are not averse to diversifying their diet with animals - they hunt for worms, snails, insect larvae, destroy bird nests, and on occasion they can also eat small snakes, lizards, frogs, rodents, and carrion. When obtaining food, wild boars often dig the ground with their mobile, but very strong snout. Wild boars can dig up unfrozen soil to a depth of 30 cm. These animals are quite voracious and, with an abundance of food, quickly gain fat.

The breeding season for wild boars occurs in November-January. Lonely males join the herd and expel young males from it. When two equal opponents meet, they fight each other, sometimes inflicting serious wounds on the enemy. Each boar collects a harem of 1-3 females. Pregnancy lasts 4-4.5 months. The female gives birth to 4 to 12 piglets in the den.

Piglets are born striped and weigh about 900 g.

At first, the babies are in the den, and the mother often visits them and feeds them for a long time, lying on her side. The piglets grow quickly and after a week begin to leave the den with the female. At first, in case of danger, the piglets run away different sides and hide in the bushes, the grown youngsters flee with their mother.

Female boar with piglets.

Wild boars are hunted by wolves, bears, tigers, and less commonly by lynxes and leopards. Especially many animals die in winter because it is difficult for wild boars to move through deep snow. Predators mainly attack young animals because an old boar and even an adult female are capable of inflicting serious wounds on the attacker. In general, the wild boar is a brave animal and, in case of real or perceived danger, attacks animals of equal size.

The role of the wild boar in the life of nature is twofold. On the one hand, these animals bring considerable benefits by digging forest floor and embedding seeds of forest plants into it, as well as destroying many pest larvae. On the other hand, wild boars can cause no less harm: where their numbers are high, wild boars often completely destroy thickets of bulbous and rhizome plants, destroy the nests of birds and bumblebees (including very rare species). Therefore, the number of these animals needs to be regulated. People have been hunting wild boar since ancient times, because the meat of this animal has unsurpassed taste qualities. Often wild boars are specially bred for this purpose in hunting grounds. Once domesticated wild boars gave rise to numerous breeds of domestic pigs.

Boars dig through the snow in search of food.

REPRODUCTION

The rutting period of wild boars is very extended: from mid-November to early January, i.e. it lasts about 2 months. There is no significant geographic variability observed. The timing of the rut depends on the yield of fattening feed, meteorological conditions, and the age composition of the wild boar herd. During the years of the acorn or pine nut harvest, when animals approach the rut well-fed, the rut begins earlier. In years of poor food harvest, estrus occurs later and is sluggish; as a result, many females (up to 50%) remain barren. In warm autumn and winter, the rut is delayed; on the contrary, with early frosts, the rut begins at a later time. early dates. The height of estrus usually occurs in December.

By the beginning of the rut, the cleavers develop the so-called kalkan - a very dense callosum that starts at the back of the neck, stretches through the sides of the chest and ends behind the shoulder blades. The thickness of the Kalkan is 2 - 3 cm, often even a bullet cannot penetrate it. This “armor” is formed in all cutters, starting from the age of 2 years. It serves to protect the animal from the fangs of an opponent during mating fights. During the rutting period, males become excitable, eat almost nothing, and wander around a lot in search of pigs. They often bathe in mud baths and urinate. During this period, the gland of the preputial bursa develops, the discharge becomes very odorous; Obviously, the smell is a warning to the neighboring male, a source of information.

During the rut, females gather in herds consisting of one or more females, piglets and gilts. Males will follow the pigs, disperse the piglets and drive away rivals. When an approaching opponent is detected, the cleaver takes a threatening pose: it snaps its fangs, stubble rises on the back of its neck, foam sprays from its mouth; if the opponent does not leave, a fierce fight ensues between them. Weak males in a fight receive serious wounds in the shoulder and chest, there are broken ribs, and there are cases where the heart is wounded during mating fights.

During the rutting season, males become less cautious. The movement of a herd of wild boars, driven by a male, can be heard from afar: the animals move noisily, squeals are heard. In normal times, wild boars walking with caution can only be heard tens of meters away.

IN normal conditions Cleavers become sexually mature in the 2nd year of life. Typically, young males do not participate in reproduction, as they are driven away by stronger cleavers. One cleaver can cover 1 - 8 pigs during the rut.

Pigs also mature in the 2nd year of life, but under good feeding conditions, some first-year females take part in mating, about 10% of them are fertilized (Geptner et al., 1961). Pregnancy lasts 4 - 4.5 months. By the time of farrowing, the pig builds a shelter for itself in a remote place, not far from the water. In the Far East, the “gayno” is usually built with a roof of branches and grass, which protects the brood from cooling (Bromley, 1969). IN central regions In the European part of the USSR, there is no roof; it is often replaced by branches of trees or shrubs, under which a bed is arranged. Farrowing begins in March and ends in June, this is due to the extended rutting period.

Newborn piglets weigh 1000 - 1700 g. They grow very quickly, reaching 20 kg by autumn, and 40 kg by the end of the year. For the first 7 - 10 days they feed on milk and do not leave the nest; the pig does not move far from them and feeds nearby. In some cases, they begin to look after the pig on the 3rd day and feed it with green plants. Ten-day-old piglets are very agile, follow their mother, know her voice well, and in case of danger they hide. For the first 2 - 3 weeks, the family stays near its nest, then it begins to wander and the pig arranges new beds for its offspring. The lactation period lasts 3 months.

In the first 2 weeks, females boldly protect piglets, so you must approach the nest carefully; the female often rushes at the offender. On the 15th - 20th day, the pig's protective instinct weakens and, when there is danger, it is the first to flee.

Piglets will be born covered with short, close-to-the-body bristles with underfur, which protects them from chilling. Their coloring has a characteristic longitudinal stripe. At the age of 3.5 - 4 months, the striping disappears and the piglets acquire a uniform color, somewhat darker than that of adults.

Usually, by August all the piglets become dark, but in the Moscow region in November and even in early December, piglets with weak striping were encountered. In three cases out of four, these were litters of young, undersized pigs, which, obviously, themselves belonged to belated litters and entered the mating season later than usual [Such pigs and piglets are subject to selective shooting and culling].

Usually there are 4 - 6 piglets in a litter, but cases of births of 12 and 16 are known, although the pig has only 5 pairs of nipples and can normally feed 10 piglets. Strict geographic variability in fertility cannot be traced, although in the regions of the North Caucasus the size of the average brood is smaller than in the rest of the range. The fertility of pigs varies depending on living conditions, age and condition of the female. Young females give birth to fewer piglets than 4-7 year old females.

The autopsies we carried out on wild boars in hunting farms near Moscow in 1970 - 1973. showed the following: in two pigs under 2 years of age - 1 and 4 embryos (average 2.5); two 3-year-old pigs had 3 and 6 embryos (average 4.5); 4 pigs of 4 years of age had 4, 6, 7 and 12 embryos (average 7.2) and one pig of 5 years of age had 7 embryos.

According to Briedermann (1970), in a litter of one-year-old pigs there is an average of 4.2 piglets, in a litter of 2-year-old pigs - 5.6, and in old females - 6.5 piglets.

The overall fertility of the herd depends on the age of the individuals entering breeding: the younger the age composition of the herd, the smaller the overall offspring. This situation is important to know for hunters and managers of hunting farms, since by shooting young individuals (piglets and gilts) and leaving mature ones, one can contribute to the growth of the wild boar population.

The size of the brood depends on the feeding conditions of the year and the fatness of the animals. In hungry years, the size of the brood decreases. On the contrary, in the years following the harvest of acorns or other fattening feeds, the size of the brood increases.

The number of piglets in a litter decreases significantly due to the death of young piglets during the year from various causes. In the Far East, according to Bromley (1969), the average litter is 6.5 piglets; by the end of summer, 5.1 piglets remain in the brood (i.e., the death rate is 21.5%), by the end of winter 2.5 young ones remain ( i.e. death 61.5%). In the Volga delta, Lavrovsky (1962) observed exactly the same picture. At birth - 6.1 piglets, at the end of summer - 4.5, and at the end of winter - 2.8 piglets, i.e., the death rate was 55% of the litter. According to A. A. Sludsky (1956), the mortality of young animals in Central Asia is 48%, in the Caucasus - from 24 to 40% (Donaurov, Teplov, 1938). The causes of death are different. For the Far East, these are early spring frosts, when newborn piglets freeze in the nest, and there is a lot of pressure from predators. In the Volga delta, the main cause of summer mortality is summer floods. In winter, young people are the first to die from heavy snow and lack of food; many piglets die when roundup hunts with a pack of dogs.

A completely different picture is observed in hunting farms of the Moscow region, where animals are protected and fed. According to our data, at the beginning of winter the average litter size is 5.6 - 6 piglets, by March there are 5 - 5.5 piglets, i.e. the death of young ones is very insignificant. Dormidontov (1967) indicates that for the Zavidovo hunting farm in the Kalinin region, the loss of young animals is only 15%

G. I. Ivanova, N. I. Ovsyukova. BOAR. HUNTING FOR UNGULATES.-Publishing house "Forest Industry", 1976

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a large forest animal from the order of artiodactyls. At the beginning of the last century, the wild boar was exterminated over a large territory of Ukraine and was considered a rare animal of the fauna of Ukraine. But thanks to security measures in last decades The wild boar is again common in all areas where there are appropriate conditions for its existence.

Description of wild boar

The wild boar, although a relative of the domestic pig, is very different from it in many ways characteristic features. Its body is strong, up to 175 cm long. The neck is short, muscular, the head is large, wedge-shaped, elongated forward, with long wide ears, small eyes and a “piglet” at the end of the snout. In an adult wild boar, an important weapon for both attack and defense are the formidable triangular fangs on the lower jaws. The fangs protrude upward and can be up to 10 cm long. On the upper jaws they are weaker and dull. The front of the body is relatively high, the legs are short. The rear is significantly lower and weaker. The tail is short. Of the sense organs, the wild boar has especially developed hearing and smell. The long, stiff bristles that cover the wild boar's body, dark brown in winter and gray-brown in summer, form a mane on the back of the neck and along the spine. The undercoat is chestnut-brown and dense.

Wild boar habitats

Wild boars are widespread mostly in the forests of Polesie and the forest-steppe zone, mountain forests of the Crimea, the Carpathians and the Carpathian regions. Wild boars live in a wide variety of places. They are more often found in very cluttered forests, in dense reed and bush thickets on the shores of water bodies or in wetlands, where they move easily and like to swim in puddles. In the western regions of Ukraine they are most often found in beech, beech-hornbeam and oak forests. In the Eastern Carpathians they reach the subalpine zone. Wild boar dens are found here in the crooked forest landscape at an altitude of up to 1800 m above sea level.

The wild boar, although it seems heavy and clumsy at first glance, runs very quickly on swampy soft soil and shallow snow due to the peculiar structure of its hooves. It has movable middle toes and additional support area in the form of the back of the sole, as well as developed lateral toes.

What does a wild boar eat?

In terms of feeding, the wild boar is omnivorous. Its diet includes underground parts of plants (roots, root crops, rhizomes, bulbs, tubers), green vegetative terrestrial parts (branches, sprouts, bark, melons), fruits and seeds of various woody and herbaceous plants (acorns, nuts, fruits, berries ), animal food (insects and their larvae, mollusks, fish, frogs, lizards, snakes, bird eggs, mouse-like rodents). Of significant importance in boar nutrition are earthworms and larvae of May beetles, especially in those years when they reproduce en masse. Wild boars do not disdain carrion. The vast majority of food is obtained from the soil or forest floor by digging - this is their characteristic way food production.

Wild boar lifestyle

High activity of wild boars is observed at night; during the day they rest in cozy dens, which they make in thick reeds on marsh islands or in bush thickets.

In the evening or at night, a wild boar comes out to look for prey. Wild boars are kept in small herds, which consist of several females and gilts of two to three years of age. Old male loppers walk alone for almost the entire year and only join the group during the rut (in November-December). Mating in wild boars usually occurs in the first half of winter, in November-December. From the very beginning of the rut, fierce fights occur between old male cleavers. The extremely strong interweaving of connective tissue, which is formed at this time in adult males, protects from severe wounds of the opponent, well developed in the skin of the anterior part of the body.

Reproduction of wild boars

At the end of March - in April (sometimes at this time the ground is still covered with snow), female wild boars make a cozy den out of branches with a bedding of dry grass and leaves (the den often has quite high side walls). Here, after a gestation of 135 days, they give birth to four to six (up to twelve piglets). The number of piglets depends on the fattening of the female and her age. For the first two weeks, the born cubs do not leave the den; if the mother is absent, they lie quietly, leaning closely against each other. The female returns to the den every 3.5-4 hours, feeds the piglets for 15-20 minutes and leaves them again, going to fattening, but always spends the night with the piglets. He feeds them milk for 2.5-3.5 months, although not a large number of Piglets begin to extract rhizomes already at two to three weeks of age.

Later, female wild boars go out to feed with the older piglets. Often 2-3 females with piglets unite together and stay in one group, and in the summer they are joined by gilts from last year’s litter. Piglets up to almost three months of age have a peculiar coloring hairline; Bright longitudinal stripes run along the reddish-gray back and sides. Young female wild boars become sexually mature in their second year, and males in their fourth or fifth year of life. Wild pigs live up to 20 years in the wild, and about 30 in captivity.

The only enemy of wild boars is the wolf. In snowy winters, this predator can almost completely destroy annual offspring and partially gilts. Famous Interesting Facts, when the scarecrow attacked newly born piglets. Ice and deep freezing of the soil have a detrimental effect on wild boars, as it becomes difficult to dig and get food.

The number of wild boars may be significantly reduced as a result infectious diseases. So in 1973-1974. Many boars of the Middle Dnieper population died from the plague.

The importance of wild boars in nature and for humans

The economic importance of wild boars is great. Under special permits, hunters annually hunt them for
tasty and nutritious meat, which is in great demand. Wild boars provide valuable, strong leather and stubble.

Wild boar, digging up large areas of soil in the forest in search of food, contribute to the encrustation of seeds, and thanks to this, the regeneration of tree and shrub species, and, by tearing off turf, to some extent help the restoration of the forest. The wild boar also plays a useful role in the fight against forest pests. For example, by consuming chafer larvae, wild boars reduce their number by almost 40%. However, where there are a lot of wild boars, they can cause significant damage to forestry by eating large quantities of germinating seeds and seedlings of forest crops. In areas where agricultural land borders forest areas, wild boar damages crops of corn, potatoes, beets, millet and vegetable and melon crops.

Therefore, the number of wild boars in forest reserves and forests near agricultural land should be constantly monitored.

Recommended viewing interesting video about a wild boar. It tells about their life in the forest in different time years, relationships and hierarchy in the herd. They even show the birth of a female wild boar and the process of building a den.

A large boar is a desirable hunting trophy. It is generally accepted that the most dangerous animals are predators, but the wild boar is no less a formidable opponent. When did this type of animal spread to larger territory, it was considered very dangerous beast. This article will tell you about the characteristics of wild boars, the largest catches of hunters and selection records.

Features of wild boars

An artiodactyl animal belonging to the subphylum Porciniformes and the “pig” family. In another way, wild boars are called wild pigs or boars. American wild pigs are called peccaries. They are the ancestors of all domesticated pigs, but they are very different from them.

The physique of wild pigs is muscular and dense, with long limbs. The head is wedge-shaped, elongated, the ears are large and erect. Males, called cleavers, have developed fangs on the upper and lower jaws, which give them a warlike and ferocious appearance.

Thick fur covers the boar's entire body, and on its back it resembles a mane. In summer, the coat is quite sparse, and by winter it becomes denser and thicker. Fur may have different color: brown, gray or even black. The tail, muzzle and limbs of the wild pig are painted black. This feature is called acromelanism. Individuals from Central Asia are characterized by rusty, light-colored fur.

Piglets have a different coat color until they reach six months of age. The color of their fur consists of alternating stripes of various shades: brown, light and yellow. This allows the cubs to camouflage themselves in the area and avoid the attention of predators.

Gallery: wild and domestic boars (25 photos)

Where do wild boars live?

Wooded area - perfect place for wild pigs. They love to roll in the mud, thus cleaning their fur from pests. The following areas are considered the historical habitat of wild boars:

• Europe;
• India;
• East and Southeast Asia;
• North Africa;
• Near East;
• Asia Minor.

The wild boar is not found only in mountain and steppe regions. He also lives in the south of Siberia, in the territory Krasnoyarsk Territory and Irkutsk region. IN North America These animals were brought from Europe specifically for hunting. Australia's feral pig population is made up of feral domestic pigs that live similarly to their wild relatives.

In many lands, wild boar populations have been completely exterminated or are heading towards extinction. In the 13th century, wild pigs disappeared from England, and in the 19th century they were exterminated in Denmark. The wild boar population had declined greatly in Russia by the 1930s. But since the 1950s, programs began to restore the population of these animals and protect their habitats.

Varieties of wild boars

The pig is the second animal, after the dog, that was domesticated by humans. There are nine species of these animals living in the wild:

Weight and size of boars

The dimensions of the animal depend on its place of residence. In South India and South-East Asia The smallest species of wild boar live here. Adults can reach maximum weight at 45 kg. European pigs are much larger than their relatives; for example, individuals weighing 200 kg live in the Carpathians. On the lands of Eastern Europe to the Urals you can meet the most major representatives families. Maximum weight a mature boar can reach 300 kg. Large animals can also be found in France and Italy, where individuals weighing 150-230 kg have been spotted. Average the weight for a wild boar is 80-120 kg, and the average length is 0.9-2 m. The height of the animal on average reaches 0.55-1.1 m.

Reproduction and lifespan of wild pigs

The optimal lifespan of wild boars in the natural environment is 10-12 years. At home, the animal can live up to 20 years. From November to December, the animals undergo mating season. Before the rut, cleaver boars gain a layer of fat and muscle 20-30 mm thick. This layer protects males from the fangs of competing boars vying for the female’s attention. The cleaver finds the female by the smell of marks, which she leaves with the help of gland secretions and saliva throughout her territory.

During the mating season, the male gradually loses the fat that has been accumulated and becomes covered with numerous wounds from skirmishes with other loppers. The winners collect a “harem” of 3-8 females, who bear their offspring for 115 days. The appearance of piglets usually occurs in April. The first litter may have 2-3 cubs. Subsequent pregnancies can produce from 10 to 12 piglets. When there are 2-3 days left before farrowing, the pig moves away from the main herd and digs a small hole in the ground, and then covers it with branches.

Newborn cubs weigh 0.75-1.0 kg. They remain in the "nest" with their mother for another 5-6 days. Subsequently, the family is reunited with the rest of its relatives. Milk feeding is carried out until the piglets reach the age of 3.5 months. Females reach sexual maturity after a year and a half, and males mature much later, at 5-6 years.

Boar nutrition and lifestyle

Wild pigs usually live in herds of 20-50 animals. The group is headed by a female; the loppers live to the side and join the females only during the mating season. The pigs are fed in the evening and in the morning; the rest of the time they rest. Boars have poor eyesight, but keen hearing and sense of smell, they are quite shy and cautious. The diet includes a variety of foods:

• roots, tubers and bulbs of plants;
• leaves, nuts, bush shoots, fallen fruits;
• frogs, worms, bird eggs, carrion.

If the animal does not find food, it can wander into human habitat and destroy crops and fields. Wild pigs run and swim well. They can easily swim even big river or lake.

Enemies of wild boars

Enemies of wild pigs almost all large predators can be considered. But big size and dangerous fangs stop most animals from hunting wild boar. A large cleaver may well fight back a bear or wild cat. Only young wild boars remain vulnerable to predators.

Hunting wild pigs

Most dangerous enemy for a boar is Human. A boar's head as a trophy is a dream for many hunters. Wild pig meat is also valued for its taste and benefits. The beast's bristles are used in the production of combs, brushes, shaving brushes, and artist brushes.

Hunting for wild boars usually takes place with dogs. Horse hunting is also known in forest-steppe areas. This type of entertainment is quite dangerous. The animal does not attack first, but if it is frightened or wounded, a fierce fight awaits the hunter. Females with a litter of piglets are especially aggressive.

For tourists walking in the forest, there are certain behavior rules when meeting a boar. If the boar was spotted in advance, you must leave the area as quietly as possible. When meeting an animal, you should not try to run away; a wild boar can easily catch up even with a person on a bicycle. It is necessary to climb the nearest tree as quickly as possible, even if the distance from the ground is only one meter. You should not try to scare away the animal by throwing pine cones or branches at it - this will only anger the animal, and it will continue to walk around the tree for a long time.

A knife or stun gun is useless against a boar; it can only be neutralized by a headshot from a large caliber weapon. Even experienced hunters Avoid direct confrontation with the wild boar.

The largest killed wild boars

The largest wild boar in the world was shot in Russia. This happened in 2015 in the Sverdlovsk region near the village of Shokurovo. The giant boar weighed over 500 kg and was about two meters tall. The amateur hunter was lucky to kill the animal with the second shot, which hit the carotid artery; the first only angered the boar. A wounded boar poses a great danger and leaves virtually no chance for an unlucky hunter. The ban on boar hunting for several years allowed the boar to grow to such terrifying sizes. According to the rangers, about three more huge wild boars live in this area.

In 2004, a huge boar was killed by an amateur hunter in the state of Georgia. The boar had a weight of 450 kg, a body length of over three meters and fangs 70 cm long. Meat animals usually do not have such fangs. It was later found out that the American pig was the result of crossing a wild cleaver and a domestic sow. The animal was raised on a farm, from which it later escaped.

In the state of Alabama, in the United States, in 2011 there was killed another huge wild boar. The trophy was received 11 year old boy, who fired nine bullets at the beast. The press published a photo of the killed cleaver, who weighed 470 kg, with a body length of three meters. Experts studied the photo and came to the conclusion that it was faked. The actual dimensions of the boar turned out to be much more modest than the stated data.

The largest domestic pigs

In the 19th century, in the county of Cheshire in England, farmer Joseph Lawton bred an impressive boar, which was named Old Slot. It weighed over 6 tons, and reached 1.5 m in height, the length of the animal was 3 meters. The boar lived for quite a short time, but still remains the largest domestic boar.

Another famous boar, Chun Chun, was born in 1999. A Chinese farmer purchased a litter of six piglets, in which the future record holder was the frailest and smallest. The piglet had to be kept in the house for better care. All the grown cubs were sold, but Chun-chun remained with the breeder - no one wanted to take him because of his small size.

A year later, the boar already weighed over 300 kg. Soon the animal became cramped in the house and had to be moved to a pen. The boar managed to live for 4 years; in 2004 he died from excessive obesity. At that time, it already weighed about 900 kg and reached a length of 2.5 m. A stuffed animal of this boar was placed in the Agricultural Museum of Liaoning Province.

Another large boar noted in the Guinness Book of Records was Big Bill. Its mass was 1157 kg, and its length reached three meters. The boar was raised by farmer Elias Butler from Tennessee. In 1933, while traveling to the World's Fair in Chicago, a wild boar broke its leg. The animal was given too high a dose of painkiller and died. The stuffed boar was shown at the circus for some time, but was then stolen.

The extensive range and good ability to adapt gave wild boars the opportunity to maintain their population. But the expansion of farmland significantly reduces the area for pigs to live and feed, which forces them to look for food in fields and gardens, causing harm to humans. Wild individuals quickly adapt to various types protection: bypass traps, break fences. Almost the only method of protection against them is licensed shooting, which forces pigs to change the territory of their possessions.

In many areas, a ban on shooting wild boars periodically appears, since, according to scientists, the strongest and largest individuals usually die. This leads to a weakening of the population and the appearance of weak and small pigs. Thanks to such measures, you can meet real giants in the forests.

Attention, TODAY only!