Wild Boar on the Borders

[jakunen]

Emma,

Only ridden a horse once (jousting - don't ask!!!) so wasn't aware of that, but I would have thought that genetic memory would have spooked the horse enough, and probaly the dogs as well into saying "uh-uh, I'm NOT going any closer!". I know that when I used to bread rats, even though they hadn't seen a snake or bird of prey for a large number of generations, the silhuette(sp?) of one sent them into a shivering panic.

Guess different species are affected in different ways.

 

[Emma]

Jakunen, if you make a sound that is a sort of cross between a hiss and a swish, then rats will immediately seek cover. It's the sound of a plummeting bird of prey. Most rodents will, as will most small birds, and even ducks (haven't tried it on wild ducks though, only our domestic ones). I know the inherited instinct for these things is strong, we've hand-reared chickens, ducks, hamsters and gerbils and all of them display all of the normal instincts you see in their wild counterparts.

Anyway, I have (momentarily) felt true fear in a horse, and "agitated" (as used in the article) is most certainly not a word I would use to describe it... something more like "absolutely terrified" and "bolting for dear life" would be closer to it. And when that happened I was the most scared I've ever been whilst riding, because horses are strong animals, and the flight instinct is even more strong, and you just know that you are a completely out of control, that you are an absolutely helpless passenger, and it's a very worrying experience.
So presumably to a horse, a boar is not classed as being as dangerous as a predator. Which is understandable, I've not heard of a pack of hungry boar bringing down a horse...

And whilst I will happily admit that I don't know much about how dogs react to things, I understand that when dogs start barking in woodland, it is usually because there's something like a squirrel or a hedgehog or a badger around. Horses will happily spook at those animals too...

OK, rant is really over this time.
Sorry for it being a rant rather than slightly more polite... but owing to riding on busy roads, you develop a mindset that everyone is a potentially dangerous idiot with absolutely no knowledge of horses, and that is the most sensible mindset to have... (minor example, when I was still in primary school, I was out riding on a quiet woodland road by myself once soon after school and my teacher (recognised the car) zoomed past, barely missing me, spooking my pony... you'd think she'd maybe slow down for a primary-school-sized child riding alone on a pony? We'd been doing road safety in class earlier that day...)
So, yeah, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to have a go.

Jousting always looked kind of tricky to me. How did you do?

 

[bambodoggy]

Still doesn't explain how the woman in the article, being on a spooked horse and chased by a pack of wild boar, had time to stop and take piccys!

As for dogs...it depends on the dog and to put it bluntly how much bottle the dog has got. They will all spark up and bark and play the big man....then some will bottle it and choose the flight instict while others will stand their ground and often charge (the bottlers may try a false charge before then run away)....dogs aren't all that different from people

The way an animal reacts to danger is also dependant on whether it is a pray animal or a preditor. As a preditor they are far more likely to fight and almost always to the death as they as killers believe anything attacking them is a killer too...hence kill or be killed, where as a prey animal knows it is likely to be killed (but doesn't do any killing itself or have the instict to do so) and so is more likely to run than to stand and fight. Obviously there are exceptions to this and it also depends on the situation but that's a general rule of thumb. for example:
A cornered horse may charge you down and trample you but once it is past you it will keep going and not stop.
A cornered dog/wolf/bear etc will (if I can't run away) fight you to the death as it expects you to do the same with it.

Hope that makes sence...

I couldn't agree more with Emma about ignorant people (usually in cars) wizzing past horses.... I just find it plain rude! I always slow right down whether in a car or on my motorbike but I see an awful lot that don't!
I remember being out in the woods at the back of the Sandhurst Military accadamy when I was a cadet and there's a lot of horse riders over there...we were on an exercise and all camm'ed up and had to be very careful when we saw horses as they mistake us for bushes and seriously freak when they see a bush get up and walk/run off so it's not just animals and motors that freek horses!

 

[Pete E]

Interesting thread. I assume the people who find the issue of boars on the loose in the UK so lighted hearted are not farmers nor live in the countryside effected?

Boars in the wild are not particularly dangerous as such, but if the population gets out of hand, they can cause a huge amount of damage to the land. They will also take lambs or similar and can act as a resevior for quite a few diseases which have very serious implications for pig farmers.

And unless "something is done", the populations will increase too as they have no natural predators over here and the habitat and weather are much less harsh than Central Europe.

If anybody doubts the potential problems they should research the impact feral pigs are having in Australia.

Does this mean I would like to see them wiped out in the UK? Not at all as they are part of our heritage. Right now, it can be open season on them as they officially don't exist as such. IMHO, we should follow Germany's lead and treat it as a game animal and accord it the respect it deserves.

Regards,

Pete

 

[Moonraker]

Around here sanglier (wild boar) are common and one of the main prey for the local hunters. In 2 years I have seen only one and heard some more. The one I saw was a good size solitary boar early one morning about 200 metres across a field. The sun shone across the grass and it stood their like a polished brass statue. Stock still for a while, alert and proud then continued grubbing around. Very impressive (it was larger than any pig I have ever seen and I was surprised at the warm ginger tones of his coat) and very touching in some way. Equally one of the best meals I had was the local village hunters lunch during the summer and the 'Civet De Sanglier' is a truly fantastic dish which you should try if ever you get the chance.

I have reservations about hunting myself and concerns about walking in the woods in hunting season. But people have hunted here since time immemorial and there is something that feels right between the balance of animals such as wild boar sharing the land with us. Forming on one side a source of sport and nourishment and also the chance to see such stunning beasts which share the places I/ we go.

It is common for the local farmers to complain that the sanglier are eating all their crops and the hunters are useless; and the hunters who moan that their game is never as prolific as it used to be :roll: Plus ca change!

I agree with Pete E that when one treats an animal with respect it serves both them and us well. I only wish all pigs had the freedom and life of the sanglier, rather than being treated as a 'product' in some food factory, hidden from the scent of the terre and the cool taste of the stream water.....

 

[shinobi]

Interesting thread. I assume the people who find the issue of boars on the loose in the UK so lighted hearted are not farmers nor live in the countryside effected?

Nope I'm not a farmer , but we've had wild boar down here in Sussex for quite some time including escapees from farms that can't keep their own animals contained.

Boars in the wild are not particularly dangerous as such, but if the population gets out of hand, they can cause a huge amount of damage to the land. They will also take lambs or similar and can act as a resevior for quite a few diseases which have very serious implications for pig farmers.

what, taking a few pence of the profit from their sausages?

And unless "something is done", the populations will increase too as they have no natural predators over here and the habitat and weather are much less harsh than Central Europe.

Let me guess what you mean by "something is done", Culling perhaps? The weather is no less harsh here than where the boar can live in europe, especially the more temperate areas of spain across to Greece.

If anybody doubts the potential problems they should research the impact feral pigs are having in Australia.

Could you enlighten us? As a "native" australian (Born in Adelaide) I've never heard about problems with european boar.

Does this mean I would like to see them wiped out in the UK? Not at all as they are part of our heritage. Right now, it can be open season on them as they officially don't exist as such. IMHO, we should follow Germany's lead and treat it as a game animal and accord it the respect it deserves.

Please could you fill in the gaps? how would "You" accord it the respect it deserves as a game animal?

Yadda yadda yadda,
Can you back up any of this with evidence? I've heard all of these points used with reference to other animals including rabbits, badgers, deer, foxes and squirrels. Infact anything that can't be made a profit out of.

 

[Pete E]

shinobi

I did not come here to waste my time arguing animal rights.

While I would like to see wild boar properly established again through out the UK, I am not so nieve to think that they would not cause problems.

If you really don't know the problems that Australia has with feral pigs, not to mention feral cats and foxes, I suggest you spend an hour on google.

Peter

 

[tomtom]

Boars in the wild are not particularly dangerous as such, but if the population gets out of hand, they can cause a huge amount of damage to the land.

a lot like farmers then.. :?:

 

[Hoodoo]

Let me just remind you folks of something: personal attacks are not allowed on this forum. Start behaving or I will be forced to treat you like miscreant children.