Wild boar in Umbria

Sunflower

Italy House

~ Living in Italy ~

Wild boar

Wild Boar are frequent in the extensive forests of this part of Umbria. They are not often seen but they do a lot of damage to fences and crops as well as being dangerous if cornered.

A wild boar
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For this reason, and because their litters can contain as many as ten piglets, even in the Natural Park of Monte Subasio which faces our property they are subject to a regular cull. Elsewhere they are pursued in a well-organised hunt which may track an individual beast for days on end.

Private properties are not exempt. One day we arrived at our house to find 2 cars parked outside and a couple of orange-jacketed men stalking up the hillside armed with rifles and walkie-talkies.

Wild boar hunters by our house - spot the reflective jackets
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Needless to say, we did not release our 3 dogs even though the hunters advised that they would be safe and also, when we looked set to be stranded, jump-started our car for us!

In another location a boar once ran past us with a howling dog on its heels. It was clearly exhausted and we discovered afterwards it had been chased for 25 kilometres and was killed later that day. The meat is much sought after. In bars and outside shops selling local produce there is often displayed the tusked head of a wild boar.