Wild Boar
Credit: Byrdyak, iStock
Although the number of farmed pigs far exceeds the number of wild boars (also known as feral pigs) there are still a surprising number roaming free in the U.S.—more than 6 million. Wild boars have the same high degree of intelligence as their farmed cousins, but we don’t hear as much about them and when we do it’s often negative. They deserve a second look.
From the earliest times boars have been viewed as strong warriors, both admired and feared for their courage, strength, and determination. It was said that even with a spear through them they would still continue to charge their attacker, refusing to run. They were prominent in Greek, Egyptian, and Hindu mythology, and some soldiers in the Middle Ages wore boar helmets and had boar images on their shields. A more disconcerting view is found in the Christian tradition, started in Medieval times but still continuing in some churches today, of the December Boar’s Head Festival in which the presentation of the head symbolizes Christ’s victory over the devil—with even a Christmas carol about bringing in the boar’s head! On the other hand, the Celts considered the boar one of their most important sacred animals—so they’ve had it both ways. And on the lighter side, in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” the Black Knight—who loses an arm in battle and with blood spurting out says “It’s just a flesh wound”—appropriately was wearing a tunic displaying the image of a boar.
Boars were likely the first animals to be domesticated for livestock (around 13,000 BCE) and were brought to North America first by Columbus and then by European settlers as a food source. And later, wild boars were introduced into new areas by hunters for “sporting” purposes. In recent decades, while many other species in the wild have struggled to survive, boar numbers have actually increased sharply. In the 1980s in the U.S. they were found mainly in a few southern states, but now are reported in at least 35.
The basic narrative about wild boars nowadays is that they are a nuisance, destructive, an invasive species—eating crops, damaging ecosystems. It’s easy to find stories along these lines in sources ranging from The Washington Post and The Atlantic to National Geographic. Few wildlife groups show much concern or interest in wild boars. Much of the talk focuses on how best to eradicate them—whether it be through hunting, trapping, or poisoning.
But some do take a more nuanced look. A nice article by Claire Hamlett in Surge talks about their intelligence and their empathy—as shown by the recent case of a female wild boar photographed rescuing her two young offspring from a cage trap by manipulating the logs holding the door shut. Hamlett also makes the point that they become “bothersome” when we reduce their available habitat and attract them with food waste. She asks, “How can we condemn a whole species as a plague on the earth and then marvel at its mental abilities—especially at its capacity for empathy?”
To which could be added another interesting characteristic about boars: their ability to escape captivity. A reason given again and again for the proliferation of wild boars around the world is their impressive escaping ability. And once they escape they thrive not just because they are “opportunistic omnivores”—able to eat basically whatever’s available—but also because of their intelligence and ability to learn quickly how to avoid hunters and traps.
Wild boars do cause difficulties for humans and for other wildlife. But hopefully we’re moving toward a more balanced look at their lives that will lead to a fuller consideration of more humane remedies to "the boar problem."
Female boar with her cluster of young piglets staying close nearby. Their striped coats during their first year provide effective camouflage amid ground cover.