Wild Boar

The wild boar (or Sus scrofa), also known as the Eurasian wild pig, is a pig native throughout the temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and areas of Northern Africa. It has also been introduced to North America, South America and Oceania. There are 16 recognised subspecies of the wild boar, varying in appearance. Their coat is made up of dark brown, coarse bristles, which form into a mane on the male’s neck. Wild boars have a large head which reaches up to a third of their body length, and, together with their powerful neck muscles, makes them adept at digging even into frozen ground. Males are larger and heavier, reaching a size of 85cm to 100cm tall at the shoulder and 1.45m to 1.75m long, with a weight of 75kg to 130kg. Females grow to be 75cm to 90cm tall at the shoulder, 1.3m to 1.57m in length, and weigh between 60kg and 90kg.

Wild boars are a species of Least Concern, being extremely widespread and populous. Due to overhunting, they became extinct in Great Britain in the High Middle Ages but were reintroduced in the 1980s. Wild boars have established invasive populations in North America and South America, after groups were imported for hunting and breeding, with both intentional releases and escapes, hybridising with domestic pigs. In its native range, the wild boar is hunted for meat and represent a keystone of their habitat’s ecosystems. Wild boars help manage woodlands. As omnivorous foragers, wild boars shape habitats by dispersing seeds and aerating soil, benefitting plant growth and other wildlife. Habitat protection, sustainable hunting regulations, and wildlife corridors help ensure healthy populations while mitigating human-wildlife conflicts. However, in the Americas, invasive populations are managed to protect native wildlife. The wild boar’s return has sparked debate, posing risks to farmland, livestock and other wildlife through damage and disease transmission.