Boar

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{{Taxobox| status = LR/lc| color = pink| name = Wild boar| image = Wild_Boar_Habitat_quadrat.jpg| regnum = Animalia]| classis = Mammalia]| familia = Suidae| species = S. scrofa| binomial = Sus scrofa| binomial_authority = [Carolus Linnaeus, 1758-->The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig. It is native across much of Central Europe, the Mediterranean Region (including North Africa's Atlas Mountains) and much of Asia as far south as Indonesia, and has been widely introduced elsewhere. It is in the same Suidae Family (biology) as the Warthog and Bushpig of Africa, the Pygmy Hog of northern India, Babirusa of Indonesia and others.

The wild boar became extinct in Great Britain and Ireland by the 17th century, but wild breeding populations have recently returned in some areas, particularly the Weald, following escapes from boar farms.{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/reports/Wild%20Boar%20Risk%20Assessment%201998.pdf|author =M.J. Goulding B.Sc. M.Sc.|coauthors =G. Smith B.Sc. Ph.D.|month=March|year=1998|title =Current Status and Potential Impact of Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) in the English Countryside: A Risk Assessment. Report to Conservation Management Division C, MAFF.|publisher=UK Government, Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)|accessdate=2007-06-21-->

Physical characteristics The body of the wild boar is compact, the head is large, the legs relatively short. The fur consists of stiff bristles and usually finer fur. The colour usually varies from dark grey to black or brown, but there are great regional differences in colour, even whitish animals are known from central Asia.* V. G. Heptner and A. A. Sludskii: Mammals of the Sowjetunion Vol. II, Part 2 CARNIVORA (Hyaenas and Cats). Leiden, New York, 1989 ISBN 900408876 8 During winter the fur is much denser.

The size also varies highly within the range. Full grown female wild boars (5 years or older) have a body length of about 135 cm and a weight of 55-70 kg in central Europe, while adult males reach 140-150 cm and weigh between 80 and 90 kg there. In some areas, like Astrachan and the Caucasus wild boars grow much larger, with males reaching a body length of 200cm and a weight of 200 kg. In the 1930s animals weighing 260 kg were shot in the Volga delta and at the Syr Daria. In the Russian Far East and the Carpathians, males of more than 300 kg have reported, but due to intensive hunting, the size of wild boars has declined. Currently, animals weighing 200 kg are counted as very large.* V. G. Heptner and A. A. Sludskii: Mammals of the Sowjetunion Vol. II, Part 2 CARNIVORA (Hyaenas and Cats). Leiden, New York, 1989 ISBN 900408876 8

The tusks serve as weapons and grow continually. The lower tusks of an adult male measure about 20cm (from which seldom more than 10 cm protrude out of the mouth), in exceptional cases even 30 cm. The upper tusks are bent upwards in males, in females they are smaller, and the upper tusks are only slightly bent upwards in older individuals.

It has been speculated that truffles are the favourite food of the boar. In several reported spottings, boars have been seen 'snooting aboot' for these delicacies.

Range

Reconstructed range The wild boar is originally found in Northern Africa and much of Eurasia from the British Isles to Japan and the Sunda Islands. In the North it reached Southern Scandinavia and Southern Siberia.

A few centuries ago it was found in Northern Africa along the Nile valley up to Khartum and north of the Sahara. The reconstructed northern boundary of the Range in Asia ran from Lake Ladoga (at 60°N) through the area of Novgorod and Moskow into the southern Ural, where it reached 52°N. From there the boundary passed Ishim and farther east the Irtysh at 56°N. In the eastern Baraba steppe (near Novosibirsk) the boundary turned steep south, encircled the Altai Mountains, went again eastward including the Tannu-Ola Mountains and Lake Baikal. From here the boundary went slightly north of the Amur River eastward to its lower reaches at the China Sea. At Sachalin there are only fossil reports of wild boar. The Southern boundaries in Europe and Asia were almost everywhere identical to the sea shores of these continents. In dry deserts and high mountain ranges the wild boar is naturally absent. So it is absent in the dry regions of Mongolia from 44-46°N southward, in China westward of Sichuan and in India north of the Himalaya. In high altitudes of Pamir and Tien Shan they are also absent, however at Tarim basin and on the lower slopes of the Tien Shan they do occur.* V. G. Heptner and A. A. Sludskii: Mammals of the Sowjetunion Vol. II, Part 2 CARNIVORA (Hyaenas and Cats). Leiden, New York, 1989 ISBN 900408876 8

Present range In the last centuries the range of wild boar changed dramatically because of human and perhaps also climatic influence. They probably became extinct in Great Britain in the 13th century: certainly none remained in southern England by 1610, when King James I of England reintroduced them to Windsor Great Park. This attempt failed due to poaching, and later attempts met the same fate. By 1700 there were no wild boars remaining in Britain. In Denmark the last were shot at the beginning of the 19th century, in 1900 they were absent in Tunesia and in Sudan and large areas of Germany, Austria and Italy were clear of wild boar. In Russia they were extinct in wide areas in the 1930s and the northern boundary has shifted far to the south, especially in the parts to the west of the Altai.

Thenceforward the species recaptured vast areas of the former range. In 1950 wild boar had reached the original northern boundary in many places of their Asiatic range again. In 1960 they reached even Saint Petersburg and Moscow and in 1975 they were found in Archangelsk and Astrachan. In the 1970s they occurred again in Denmark and Sweden, where captured animals managed to escape and survive in the wild and in the 1990s they migrated into the Toscana.

Status in Britain Between then and the , when wild boar farming began, only a handful of captive wild boar, imported from the continent were present in Britain. Because wild boar are included in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 certain legal requirements have to be met prior to setting up a farm. A licence to keep boar is required from the local council who will appoint a specialist to inspect the premises and report back to the council. Requirements include secure accommodation and fencing, correct drainage, temperature, lighting, hygiene, ventilation and insurance.

Occasional escapes of wild boar have occurred since the 1970s. Early escapes occurred from Wildlife Parks but since the early 1990s more escapes have been from farms, the number of which has increased as the demand for wild boar meat has grown. By the 1990s a breeding population was rumoured to have established in areas of Kent and East Sussex.

In 1998, a Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (now Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) study on wild boar living wild in Britain confirmed the presence of two populations of wild boar living in Britain, one in Kent and East Sussex and another in Dorset.

It is now generally accepted that the boar are back for good, and that they will probably not be eradicated for a second time. Organised hunts are now taking place for the first time in 300 years.

Populations:

Kent and East Sussex. Originated in late 1980s from a now defunct wild boar farm in Tenterden, Kent, supplemented with escapees from an also defunct abbatoir near Ashford, Kent. Population numbers now well over 100 animals.

Dorset. Originated in mid 1990s from a now defunct wild boar farm in Bridport, Dorset. Recently supplemented with escapees from an operating boar farm in same area. Population numbers around 100 animals.

Herefordshire, Ross-on-Wye. Originated in late 1990s from a now defunct wild boar farm at Western under Penyard east of Ross-on-Wye and are probably of pure Eastern European origin. They reach large sizes and culled boar have been recorded to 210kg in weight (clean). Population numbers increasing and the area inhabited is also increasing. Population probably now (2007) above 200 despite being regularly culled to protect crops.

Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean. Many sows and piglets have been observed originating from what appears to be a deliberate release of farmed stock in the Staunton area in late 2004. They are of separate origin to the Ross on Wye stock and may not be pure wild boar. Population probably now well in excess of 50 as over 30 have been photographed together.

Devon, Exmoor. On 23 December 2005, dozens of wild boar escaped from a wild boar farm after the fences were deliberately cut. Unknown number still at large.

Scarborough, North Yorkshire, North Yorkshire. There is known to be a group of boars that inhabit Newby near Scarborough.

Introduced wild boars , Florida) are introduced by humansAt the beginning of the 20th century wild boar were introduced for hunting in the USA, where they interbred in parts with free roaming domestic pigs. In South America, New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia and other islands wild boar have also been introduced by humans and have partially interbred with domestic pigs.

Wild or feral The difference between the wild and domestic animals is largely a matter of perception; both are usually described as Sus scrofa, and domestic pigs quite readily become feral. The characterization of populations as wild, feral or domestic in pig or boar is usually decided by where the animals are encountered and what is known of their history. In New Zealand for example, wild pigs are known as "Captain Cookers" from their supposed descent from liberations and gifts to Māori by explorer Captain James Cook in the 1770s.

The term boar is used to denote an adult male of certain species, including, confusingly, domestic pigs. In the case of wild pigs only, it is correct to say "female boar" or "infant wild boar", since boar or wild boar refers to the species itself.{{cite web] in the southern United States. The tail is usually short and straight. Wild animals tend also to have longer legs than domestic breeds and a longer and narrower head and snout. European adult males can be up to 200 kg (sometimes up to 300 kg in certain areas, particularly Eastern Europe) and have both upper and lower tusks; females do not have tusks and are around a third smaller on average.

A very large swine dubbed Hogzilla was shot in Georgia (U.S. state) in June 2004.{{cite news|last=Dewan|first=Shaila |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/03/19/MNGNRBS0E71.DTL|title=DNA tests to reveal if possible record-size boar is a pig in a poke|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle]|accessdate=2007-06-12--> Initially thought to be a hoax, the story became something of an internet sensation. National Geographic Explorer investigated the story, sending scientists into the field. After exhuming the animal and performing DNA testing it was determined that Hogzilla was a hybrid of wild boar and domestic swine.

Habits Wild boars live in groups called sounders. Sounders typically contain around 20 animals, but groups of over 50 have been seen. In a typical sounder there are two or three sows and their offspring; adult males are not part of the sounder outside of a breeding cycle, two to three per year, and are usually found alone. Birth, called farrowing, usually occurs in a secluded area away from the sounder; a litter will typically contain 4-6 piglets.(p. 6)

The animals are usually nocturnal, foraging from dusk until dawn but with resting periods during both night and day.(p. 4-5, 8-9) They eat almost anything they come across, including nuts, berries, carrion, roots, tubers, refuse, insects, small reptiles--even young deer and lambs.(p. 9-10)

Boars are the only hoofed animals known to dig burrows, a habit which can be explained by the fact that they are the only known mammals lacking brown adipose tissue. Therefore, they need to find other ways to protect themselves from the cold. For the same reason, piglets often shiver to produce heat themselves.{{cite web|url=http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/science/news/archive/like_pigs_fascinated_shivering_paper|title=Shiver Me Piglets!|author=Catherine Scullion|publisher=null-hypothesis.co.uk|quote=Most newborn mammals are kept warm by a reaction in the mitochondria involving brown fat tissue; which converts fats into heat. Pigs lack this mechanism and so shudder in order to maintain their body temperature.|accessdate=2007-06-21-->

If surprised or cornered, a boar (and particularly a sow with her piglets) can and will defend itself and its young vigorously. The male lowers its head, charges, and then slashes upward with its tusks. The female, which is tuskless, charges with its head up, mouth wide, and bites. Such attacks are rarely fatal to humans, but severe trauma and blood loss can easily result.

Subspecies Sus scrofa has four subspecies, each occupying distinct geographical areas:

Sus scrofa scrofa (western Africa, Europe)
Sus scrofa ussuricus (northern Asia and Japan)
Sus scrofa cristatus (Asia Minor, India)
Sus scrofa vittatus (Indonesia)

Mythology and religion In Greek mythology two boars are particularly well known. The Erymanthian Boar was hunted by Hercules as one of his Twelve Labours, and the Calydonian Boar was hunted in the Calydonian Hunt by dozens of other mythological heroes, including some of the Argonauts and the huntress Atalanta.

In Celtic mythology the boar was sacred to the goddess Arduinna Celtic Encyclopaedia les-ardennes.net, and boar hunting features in several stories of Celtic mythology and Irish mythology. One such story is that of how Fionn mac Cumhaill ("Finn McCool") lured his rival Diarmuid Ua Duibhne to his death - gored by a wild boar.

The Norse gods Freyr and Freyja both had boars. Freyr’s boar was named Gullinbursti ("Golden Mane"), who was manufactured by the Sons of Ivaldi as a gift to Freyr. The bristles in Gullinbursti’s mane glowed in the dark to illuminate the way for his owner. Freya rode the boar Hildesvini (Battle Swine) when she was not using her cat-drawn chariot. According to the poem Hyndluljóð, Freyja concealed the identity of her protégé Óttar (mythology) by turning him into a boar. In Norse mythology, the boar was generally associated with fertility as well as a protective talisman in war, due to the animal's sometimes fierce nature.

In Iran during Sassanid Empire, boars were respected as fierce and brave creatures and the adjective "Boraz (Goraz)" meaning Boar was sometimes added to a person's name to show his bravery and courage. The famous Sassanid spahbod, Shahrbaraz, who conquered Egypt and the Levant, had his name derived Shar + Baraz meaning "Boar of the Kingdom"

Three boars are seen on the Grimsby coat of arms.

In Hindu mythology, the third avatar of the Lord Vishnu was Varaha, a boar.

In Chinese horoscope the Pig (zodiac) (sometimes also translated as pig), is one of the twelve animals of the zodiac, based on the legends about its creation, either involving Buddha or the Jade Emperor.

Heraldry and other symbolic use The boar and a boar's head are common Charge (heraldry) in heraldry. A complete beast may represent what are seen as the positive qualities of the boar, namely courage and fierceness in battle; a boar's head may represent hospitality (from the custom of serving the boar's head in meals), or it may symbolize that the bearer of the coat of arms is a noted hunter.

Scottish Highland Clan Campbell uses the boar on its badge to symbolize courage and fierceness. The chiefs of clans Clan Gordon, Clan Nesbitt and Clan Urquhart similarly uses three boars' heads on their coat of arms. The wild boar was a symbol of Richard III of England.{{cite web] (heraldic punning). The Germany towns of Eberbach (Baden) and Ebersbach an der Fils, both in Baden-Württemberg, and Ebersbach, Saxony use civic arms that demonstrates this. Each depicts a boar - in German language (and in two cases a wavy fess or bar (heraldry) meant to represent a stream - in German).

The flag of the Serbian rebel forces during the First Serbian Uprising featured the wild boar on its flag, together with other Coat of Arms of Serbia. During that time wild boars were common in Serbian forests and mountains, and pigs were the main export of the region.

In Belgium, the wild boar is the symbolic animal of the Ardennes forests in the south of the country, and is the mascot of one of the Belgian Army's premier infantry regiments, the Régiment de Chasseurs Ardennais, the soldiers of which wear a boar's head pin on their beret.

Shakey the Pig is the mascot of the U. S. Air Force's 36th Air Base Wing's Munitions Squadron. Shakey is a wild boar caught within the jungles of Guam that is cared for and fed by the airman of the unit. Shakey is featured on the unit's patch.

Image: Zastava_1ustanak.jpg], wild boar discernible on the right.Image:Wappen Eberbach Baden.png|Arms of Eberbach (Baden), GermanyImage:Wappen Ebersbach an der Fils.png], GermanyImage:Wappen Ebersbach Sachsen.PNG], Germany

Hunting

relief, c. 3rd century of hunting wild boar with a bay dog.

A full sized boar is a large strong animal armed with sharp tusks which defends itself strongly; so hunting has often been a test of bravery.

Historically, boar hunting was done by groups of spearmen using a specialized boar spear. The boar spear was fitted with a cross guard to stop the enraged animal driving its pierced body further down the shaft in order to attack its killer before dying. Specialized boar swords were also used in boar hunting, and also large hunting dogs, which would usually be equipped with heavy leather armour. See also Medieval hunting#Other quarry.

In Persian empire aristocratic hunters used elephants to chase the boars and encircle them in marshland. The hunter would then use a composite bow to shoot the boars from a boat. Elephants carried the bodies to the hunting camp. The rock reliefs of these scenes have remained largely intact in Taq-e Bostan.In India, hunting from horseback, called pigsticking, was popular among the Maharajas, and with British officers during Victorian era and Edwardian era times. www.tribuneindia.com Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting wrote a book on the subject. pinetreeweb.com

Currently wild boars are hunted both for their meat and to mitigate the damage they cause to crops and forests. It has been said that one "only gets one shot" at a charging boar, because its hide is quite thick, its bones are quite dense, and anything less than a "kill shot" will allow the boar to continue its charge, which it will: hunters have reported being butted up into trees by boars that have already taken a glancing shot.

Generally dogs are used, sometimes now wearing Kevlar vests, to track and subdue their quarry. These dogs are loosely divided into two categories, bay dogs, and catch dogs.

Bay dogs harass and harry the boar, keeping it cornered in one place, while intensely vocalizing. This behavior is known as "baying" or keeping the boar "at bay". The bay dogs vocalizing alerts the hunter(s) to the bay, and the dogs maintain a slight distance from the boar allowing the hunter(s), once caught up, to dispatch the boar with a well placed rifle shot. Bay dogs are typically Cur dogs such as the Leopard Cur, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Blackmouth Cur, Catahoula Leopard Dog) and trailing scent hounds such as the Walker Hound, Foxhound, Plott Hound).

Catch dogs physically take hold of the boar, typically seizing the base of the boar's ear. Once the catch dogs have physical control of the boar, they will hold it down by the head indefinitely until the hunter arrives. The hunter then comes in from behind the boar, and dispatches the boar with a knife or spear. Catch dogs are typically "Bully" breeds such as the Bulldog, Pit Bull, Staffordshire Bull Terrier) and other molossers such as the Dogo Argentino, Cane Corso and smaller Mastiff crossbreed).

In several countries such hunting is a very popular recreation.

In Sweden, boars were hunted to extinction in the 18th century. In the 1970s, they became feral, and in 1987 parliament decided them to be part of the natural fauna. Boars are hunted around the year for recreation and population control. Jordbruksdepartementet:Vildsvinens ökning ska hejdas

It is known as "pig hunting" in Australia and New Zealand Hunting books www.lifesaboar.co.nz In these two countries the "baying" of the dogs is colloquially referred to as "bailing". ozemail.com.au Popular "pig dogs" in Australia include American Staghound, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Greyhound crosses, various Terriers, and purpose bred crosses.

It is known as "hog hunting" in the South of the United States. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Popular "hog dogs" in the U.S. include Blackmouth Curs, Catahoulas, Pit Bulls, Walker Hounds, and purpose bred crosses.

The Weiser Weight and Tusk Trophy Wild Boar Record Book records hunting records by the "Weiser Weight & Tusk" scoring system or "WWT." Official scoring system www.brutalboarcreations.com The scoring system works focuses on body weight and tusk size.

Commercial use The hair of the boar was often used for the production of the toothbrush until the invention of synthetic materials in the 1930s.{{cite web]s for use with steel-tipped darts: a large quantity of bristles are aligned parallel to each other and compressed in a circular band of steel to form the board.

Boars are sometimes farmed for their meat. Boar meat is eaten as food in several countries. Wild boar meat consumption has been linked to transmission of Hepatitis E.

See also

List of pigs over 1000 pounds

References External links

"Hunt goes on to find missing boar" (from BBC News)
Scoring system, official rules and category links
British Wild Boar
BBC News Release
BBC News Release
Wild Boar UK

Devon, Exmoor. On 23 December 2005, dozens of wild boar escaped from a wild boar farm after the fences were deliberately cut. Unknown number still at large.

Scarborough, North Yorkshire, North Yorkshire. There is known to be a group of boars that inhabit Newby near Scarborough.

Sus scrofa scrofa (western Africa, Europe)
Sus scrofa ussuricus (northern Asia and Japan)
Sus scrofa cristatus (Asia Minor, India)
Sus scrofa vittatus (Indonesia)

List of pigs over 1000 pounds

References External links

"Hunt goes on to find missing boar" (from BBC News)
Scoring system, official rules and category links
British Wild Boar
BBC News Release
BBC News Release
Wild Boar UK

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