What is a Boar Known For?
If you read the headline “Pop superstar Shakira attacked by wild boars,” you’d probably assume that was a fake headline. But it was/is true! She and her eight-year-old son were walking in a park in Barcelona, Spain, recently, when two boars attacked her, taking her bag and then retreating into the woods. Shakira posted about the incident on her Instagram stories. It made worldwide news.
A Huge Population
Boars have been getting increasingly aggressive in Barcelona during recent years. They’ve attacked dogs, held up traffic and even run into cars in the city. It’s estimated that Europe is home to some 10 million wild boars– there are so many of them, that they’ve become quite the public nuisance. Drawn to cities where they can live off the trash discarded by humans, they’re considered an invasive species carrying a wide variety of diseases. In other words, they’re not welcomed into polite society!
Characteristics
A boar is basically a wild pig. It’s bristly-haired, grizzled, and black or brown in color. If cute pink farm pigs are what you think of when you think of pigs, boar are like the tough bad boy pigs from the wrong side of the tracks.
Generally, wild boars live in groups. They’re fast, nocturnal and can swim well. They have sharp tusks which can be dangerous to whatever other animal (or person) gets in their way.
Since boars are strong, fast and, at times, ferocious, they’ve been hunted for many centuries, sometimes with spears but more recently with guns.
In the United States, people don’t tend to see wild boar roaming city streets. However, they do exist in the U.S., and can be hunted at places like Tioga Boar Ranch in rural PA. For more info, call Tioga Ranch at 570-835-5341. Also, see this page for more boar hunting info.