Wild boar are the wild ancestors of the modern pig. This is why pigs and boar can interbreed - The domestication occurred in Europe, but started about 9,000 years ago,...
Wild boar, and its domesticated relative the domestic Pig
Native to much of Eurasia, as well as across north Africa, it has also been introduced to the Americas and Oceania the wild boar is the most successful member of its family. Domestication by humans date back 10,000-12,000, and as such domestic pigs now look quite different to their wild counterparts. What is clear, though is that these species can interbreed with ease.
It is hard to ascertain the wild boar population, though America is thought to have a population of roughly 6 million (it should be noted that this is an invasive species which therefore should not be in the country at all. Their meat is enjoyed by humans, however, being highly intelligent, they tend to escape. In the UK, the wild boar were wiped out in the past, however, they have returned, though there is some domestic pig in them which means that they tend to have more offspring. Europe also has a population of wild boar, which would be numbered in the millions.
Click here to explore the rest of the pig family
On the hunt for wild boar in the Forest of Dean
During half term I took my two children, aged 4 and 6, up to the Forest of Dean for a couple of days. As with many...
