It is surprising to note how its presence, in Europe and in Italy, continues to increase. The estimate attempted in 2005 spoke of a population of 4 million specimens across the continent. Lot of boars they have chosen France and Germany as their home, but Italy is also quite popular: 600.000 animals with about 120.000 slaughtered a year. Almost ten years have passed and the numbers have increased significantly.
At this point the question is a must. What is different about wild boar from other ungulates? At least 4 trump cards that make him a super ungulate.
Not very rigid packs and great adaptive capacity.
When wild boars live in protected areas, with scarcity of natural enemies, the social construction is rigid and well defined. The group is organized around females related to each other and the attachment between the specimens is very strong. Suffice it to say that wild boars, unlike many other species, know the collective breastfeeding of their young. However, when the wild boar lives in unprotected areas, the social organization, which by necessity is denaturalized, must change. Thanks to its attitude and intelligence, the wild boar has proved to be a particularly flexible ungulate. Hunting by both humans and other predators continually tends to dismember social groups: the reaction of the wild boars is surprising. The surviving females are able rather quickly to rebuild the group by welcoming even the unrelated specimens that survive. The lack of stiffness allows the group to recreate easily. The orphaned puppies, for example, are adopted, nursed and protected by other females who treat them as their own children.
Nature has been generous with the wild boar, not only thought it intelligent and shrewd, but also offered it trump cards that allow it to survive despite everything: despite climate change, despite hunting, despite man, despite the more or less fortunate seasons.
Surprising reproductive capabilities
The high reproductive capacity of the wild boar is one of the elements that can make the difference. Not only can the litters be particularly numerous (ranging from a minimum of 1 - 2 specimens to a maximum of 9 - 14 with an average of 4 - 6 chicks per litter) but the ability of the females to conclude also three broods in two years. It all depends on the climate, the food availability and the needs of the herd, but this reproductive strategy has so far proved successful. Furthermore, if we take into account that the females, even if very young, are able to reproduce in case of need, we understand the high presence of wild boar on the European territory. It is estimated that in case of need (absence of adult females) the very young are able to anticipate sexual maturity as early as 8 - 9 months and in the most surprising cases they are able to ovulate as early as 5 - 6 months. If, on the other hand, there are adult females in the herd, the young are probably inhibited with the emission of pheromones that postpone puberty. The anticipation of the fertile age depends not only on the absence of adult specimens, but also on the weight of the female: only if they exceed 25 - 3o kg can ovulation be triggered.
Food varied
Another survival strategy that has given wild boar great popularity is its rather varied diet. The ungulate feeds on acorns and dried fruits, but in case of need it does not disdain grains, herbs, rhizomes, but also small mammals, reptiles, eggs, or even dead animals. His absolutely generalist diet allowed him to feed regardless of climatic and environmental conditions.
The sense of family
The group and the care of the little ones is very important for the female boar. Above all, the long breastfeeding, the prolonged intercourse and the active defense of the puppy by the mother (or the females of the group) allows the survival of numerous specimens. It is not simplistically a social factor, but it is also one of the reasons that made the wild boar one of the most intelligent, self-confident and hunting-resistant creatures that nowadays inhabit the European woods.