The high season for the wild boar offspring starts in spring. But what should you do if your mom meets a wild boar while walking? We have tips for meeting wild boars.
Wild boars are not inherently aggressive. “In rare cases, however, they can defend aggressively if they have no place to retreat,” says Sven Herzog, Professor of Game Ecology and Hunting at the TU Dresden. This is especially true in three situations:
- When a wild boar is injured.
- When a mother is out with her cubs
- When you’re out with a dog
The dog is descended from the wolf – and that is an enemy of the wild boar. The wild boar usually recognizes the dog as an enemy and may therefore attack him and the dog owner under certain circumstances.
In areas where there are also wild boars, you should keep your dog close to you. It’s also best to avoid paths through thickets and bushes. Because this is where newcomers, i.e. wild boar babies, like to hang out.
Withdraw slowly
If a wild boar should suddenly stand in front of you, the same applies as for most wild animals: Just don’t rush! Stand still and slowly go backwards. It is always important that the wild boar has a place to retreat and is not pushed into a corner. This is seldom the case in the wild, but wild boars can also be encountered in some cities, where there is of course a greater chance that a wild boar will feel pushed into a corner when it encounters people and can thus react aggressively.
There are also signs that can be used to tell if a wild boar feels threatened. “The first warning signs can be when a wild boar raises its tail and snorts. You should be really careful when the wild boar fixes its eyes and its canine teeth hit each other, ”says Torsten Reinwald from the hunting association. The same rule applies here: withdraw slowly.
Always give a wild boar the opportunity to withdraw from the situation!