Feral hogs
| Feral pig | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Suidae |
| Genus: | Sus |
| Species: | S. scrofa |
| Binomial name | |
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Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 |
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The feral pig (from Latin fera, "a wild beast") is a pig (Sus scrofa) living in the wild, but which has descended from escaped domesticated individuals in both the old and new worlds. Razorback and wild hog are American colloquialisms, loosely applied to any type of feral domestic pig, wild boar or hybrid in North America; pure wild boar are sometimes called "Russian boar" or "Russian razorbacks". The term "razorback" has also appeared in Australia, to describe feral pigs there.
A feral pig is a domestic pig that has escaped or been released into the wild, and is living more or less as a wild animal; or one that is descended from such animals. Zoologists generally exclude from the feral category animals that, although captive, were genuinely wild before they escaped. Accordingly, Eurasian wild boar, released or escaped into habitats where they are not native, such as in North America, are not generally considered feral, although they may interbreed with feral pigs. Likewise, reintroduced wild boars in Western Europe are also not considered feral, despite the fact that they were raised in captivity prior to their release.
The natural habitat of wild boar are woodlands, however, feral populations root and forage in areas where they conflict with human activities, such as in picnic areas, on golf courses, football pitches, village greens, etc. In the UK, wild boar can be farmed under licence. However, it is illegal to release them into the wild.
There are established populations of feral wild boar in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. These are often active during the daytime (diurnal behavior) and are less wary of people. This is in contrast to populations in East Sussex which are nocturnal and wary of people.
Groups of feral wild boar have been reported in the Scottish Highlands including Invermoriston, near Loch Ness, and between Newtonmore and Laggan. A group believed to be a mix of wild boar and domestic pig that escaped from a farm, have been seen in the Strathnairn area near Inverness; there were worries they would dig up potato crops. Feral wild boar occur elsewhere in the UK according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It said between one- and two-hundred were estimated to be in Kent and East Sussex and about twenty to thirty in West Dorset.
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Wikipedia