The largest wild boar caught. The largest wild boars in the world - is there a limit? Life expectancy, reproduction characteristics

The wild boar is a cloven-hoofed animal belonging to the suborder Porciniformes (family “pigs”). Other names wild boars: "boar", " wild pig" Wild boars are believed to be the ancestors of modern domestic pigs. Despite such close “kinship,” boars are strikingly different from domestic pigs. Read this article and you will learn many interesting facts about these animals.

The wild boar is a relative of the domestic pig, but is very different from the usual domestic animals.

Boars have a dense and muscular build. Their limbs are longer than those of ordinary pigs. The boar's head is elongated and wedge-shaped. The ears are erect and large. Males (cleavers) have well-developed fangs above and below, which gives them a fierce and warlike appearance. The body of a wild boar is covered with thick fur, which looks like a kind of mane on its back. IN winter time The coat is dense and becomes sparser as the weather gets warmer. The color of the fur can be grayish, brown, or even black. Boars exhibit acromelanism (black coloration of the muzzle, tail and limbs). In the territory Central Asia There are animals with a lighter, reddish tint of fur.

Piglets up to six months of age are colored differently than adult boars. Their fur is an alternation of stripes of light, brown and yellow color. A baby wild boar blends into the terrain and is almost invisible to predators.

Habitat

• the entire territory of Europe;
• Asia Minor, Middle East;
• northern part of Africa;
• India;
• east and southeast Asia.

The wild boar lives in any terrain, with the exception of mountains and pigs.

Wild boar is not found in steppe regions and mountainous areas. The wild boar is also found in the southern part of Siberia: in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the south of the Irkutsk region. But Transbaikalia with its hills and hills is not to the taste of these animals.

Wild boars also live on the territory North America. They were brought to the United States from Europe for hunting purposes. The population of Australian wild pigs is interesting. These are feral domestic pigs that lead the same lifestyle as their wild European counterparts. Of course it's not separate species wild boar

Unfortunately, in many regions the forest boar has been exterminated completely or almost completely. In England, wild boars were exterminated in the 13th century, in Denmark – in the 19th century. In Russia, the number of wild boars declined catastrophically by the thirties of the last century. In the 50s of the twentieth century, systematic care for wild boars and restoration of the animal population began. Now you can find them even in such a densely populated area as, for example, Losiny Island near Moscow.

Types of wild boars

It is believed that the pig is the second animal domesticated by man (the first was the dog). As for the species diversity of these animals living in wildlife, then 9 of their varieties are known.

• Boar . Lives in European and Asian forests. Introduced by humans to the American continent. About 25 subspecies of this animal are known.
• Warthog. Warthog habitat - African savannas. It received this name due to the growths of skin on its face. The animal is quite large. Its height reaches 0.85 m, weight – up to 150 kg.
• River brush-eared pig. Lives in Central Africa. This pig sports a colorful outfit. Her fur is red and there is a white stripe on her back. Its diet is quite varied. Along with plant foods, cyst-eared pigs do not disdain carrion and feed on small mammals, birds, and insects.
• Lesser brush-eared pig lives in Madagascar and in the east African continent. The weight of the animal is about 70 kg.
• Big forest pig lives in equatorial African forests. The weight of the animal is 200 kg or more. This species was discovered relatively recently, at the beginning of the 20th century. The diet of these pigs is exclusively vegetarian.
• bearded pig lives in South-East Asia, V mangrove forests Indonesian islands. It differs from its well-fed “relatives” in having a more “athletic” physique. The weight of the animal does not exceed 50 kg. Like most pigs, bearded pigs are omnivores.
• Babirussa also inhabits the islands of Indonesia. The height of the animal at the withers is 0.8 m, weight – 80 kg. It is characterized by low fertility (no more than 2 piglets). Refers to rare species(about 4 thousand pigs of this species survive in nature).
• Javan pig.
• Pygmy pig- the smallest representative of this family. Its length is no more than 0.65 m, and its height is no more than 0.30 m.

There are more than a dozen species of wild boar, all of which differ greatly in appearance.

Dimensions and weight

They depend on the habitats of these animals. The smallest representatives of the boar tribe live in southern India and southeast Asia. A few words about how much a boar weighs. Weight Limit adult boars do not exceed 45 kg. But wild boars living in Europe are much larger and more massive. Carpathian individuals, for example, have a mass of 200 kg. The most large pigs meet on the territory of Eastern Europe: from the Carpathians to the Urals. The maximum weight of a boar is about 300 kilograms. And the “record” registered weight of a boar is 320 kg. Impressive animals can be found in Italy and France ( average weight 150 and 230 kg, respectively).

The average body weight of a wild boar varies from 80 to 120 kilograms, with a body length of 900 - 2000 cm. The height at the withers is on average 550-1100 cm.

The average weight of a wild boar is about 100 kg.

Life expectancy, reproduction characteristics

IN natural conditions wild boars live on average from 10 to 12 years. The lifespan of animals in captivity increases to 20 years. The mating season for these animals is November-December. By the beginning of the rut, male boars become overgrown with fat and additional muscle mass on the sides, 20 - 30 mm thick. This “armor” protects boars from the fangs of competitors who also compete for the attention of brides.

During estrus, a female boar-pig carefully marks her own territory with the help of saliva and secretions that are secreted from the glands. The male finds the female using these marks.

During mating season Choppers lose fat, their bodies become covered with wounds from numerous tournaments with other males. But the reward for the winner is a “harem”, which includes from 3 to 8 females. Wild pig bears offspring for approximately 115 days. Farrowing occurs in April. The first litter of a female usually consists of 2 to 3 piglets, but there are also “record holders” with 10-12 babies in the litter. 2-3 days before farrowing, the pig separates from the herd and prepares the place for birth. She digs a small hole in the ground, covering it with branches.

A wild pig produces offspring ranging from 3 to 8 individuals.

The average weight of newborn piglets is 0.75 – 1.0 kg. For 5-6 days they stay next to their mother in an improvised nest. Then the family reunites with the herd. The piglet follows its mother everywhere. A wild pig feeds piglets with milk for up to 3.5 months. A wild boar grows up to 5-6 years of age. Females become sexually mature at one and a half years, males much later. They start caring for ladies at the age of 5-6 years.

Lifestyle, nutrition

The wild pig is a herd animal. A group of wild boars consists of 20 - 50 individuals. They have a matriarchy: the group is led by a female. The boar stays aloof, joining the female company only at the beginning of the mating season. Animals feed in the morning and evening. Day and night serve as a time of rest for them. Pigs are cautious and timid. Their eyesight is not the best, but their hearing and sense of smell are excellent.

The specificity of their diet is due to the fact that wild boars dig the ground with their nose.

• They love to eat roots, bulbs and tubers of plants.
• Wild boars feed on young shoots of bushes, eat leaves, collect fallen fruits, and do not refuse nuts.
• From animal food, wild boars eat worms and frogs. This “gourmet” never misses an opportunity to feast on carrion and sometimes destroys bird nests located within his reach.
• Sometimes a wild boar harms people by destroying fields and crops.

Wild boars love plant foods, but they don’t disdain worms and frogs.

Wild pigs are excellent swimmers and runners. Even wide river or a lake are not a serious obstacle for them. Considering large mass bodies, an adult animal is quite dangerous.

Enemies

All large predators are considered enemies of wild boars. But, given the impressive size and weight of the wild boar, even tigers prefer not to get involved with adult males, not to mention wolves or bears. A large boar can defeat a bear or wild cat without much difficulty. Fangs and hooves are quite formidable weapons of a wild boar. Therefore, young individuals usually become victims of predators.

Features of hunting

Man is one of the most dangerous enemies wild boar A trophy in the form of a boar's head with tusks is the object of every hunter's dreams. Wild boar meat is tasty and healthy. Bristles are also used for the production of brushes, razor brushes and combs. Boar bristles are also suitable for making painting brushes.

Hunting wild boars is a very popular pastime.

They hunt forest pigs with dogs. Horseback hunting for wild boars is popular in forest-steppe regions. This occupation is quite dangerous. The animal itself is not aggressive, but if you frighten or anger it, it can easily stand up for itself. This is especially true for females with cubs.

Diseases

Here is a list of the most dangerous diseases of these animals.

Plague

The most dangerous disease wild boars, not sparing animals of all ages. The causative agent of this disease is a filterable virus. The disease is highly contagious. In a frozen boar corpse, the virus persists for up to six months, in a decomposing body - for several months. Since pigs live in herds, infection of one animal can lead to widespread disease and mortality. The virus also affects domestic pigs. The meat of a sick animal is edible after boiling for 1 - 1.5 hours. Deliver shot carcasses to the territory settlements it is forbidden. Disinfection of meat is carried out in specialized enterprises.

Disposal of the corpses of dead animals is carried out by covering them with lime, followed by burying them to a depth of two meters. Prevention of mass infection of wild pigs is the shooting of sick individuals, as well as vaccination of animals.

Wild boars often suffer from plague, which greatly reduces their numbers.

Scabies

Affects animals during times of famine. By eating the corpses of animals affected by scabies, the boar itself becomes ill. By multiplying in the skin, the scabies mite causes hair loss and severe skin itching. Animals that stray from the herd are shot. The skin of the killed animal is disposed of. The meat is considered conditionally edible.

Trichinosis

When eating the carcasses of animals affected by trichinosis, the wild boar becomes infected with this disease. In this case, muscle tissue suffers. A disease such as helminthiasis also affects wild boars.

To restore the population of wild pigs after the mass mortality caused by wild boar diseases, it is advisable to ban hunting of these animals for 2-3 years. The disturbance factor of animals must be minimized to avoid their mass migration.

Victor Kalinin

Pig farmer with 12 years of experience

Articles written

Nature constantly surprises us with its wonders. Among the countless diversity biological species Sometimes truly unprecedented specimens are encountered. A bear whose height reaches the second floor windows, or a shark the length of a small yacht - it’s scary to imagine such monstrously huge animals. Now imagine that a wild boar armed with tusks has these dimensions. Most big boar- a desired trophy for every hunter, but we must not forget about the danger accompanying such an animal. A huge wild boar that accidentally meets can not only attack and injure, but also kill a person - this animal is hot-tempered, the meeting will obviously not go well.

The wild boar, despite its resemblance to the ordinary domestic pig, is not so harmless. The animal's body is muscular, somewhat indefinite in shape: the raised and bulky front part abruptly turns into a narrow and shortened pelvis, the legs are short, strong, allowing for development higher speed. The head is small, the neck is thick, immediately turning into the body. Small eyes are located under the forehead, which leans forward strongly, and the ears are short. The tail reaches a length of up to 30 cm. The whole body is covered with hard bristles from dark gray to black, and in young boars it is brownish-brown with stripes on the back.

About speed: even on rough terrain, a large boar can accelerate to 40-50 km/h and overcome obstacles up to 2 meters high! Such a runaway beast, whose average weight is 100-150 kg, and whose head is armed with two sharp tusks, demolishes everything in its path. Trees, buildings, cars - nothing will hold him back. Therefore, there is a rule among hunters: a boar cannot simply be wounded, only killed, and only immediately, otherwise it will not escape.

Wild boars are quite prolific, among them high level survival of offspring.

Where can you find a wild boar?

These animals live almost everywhere. All continents (except Antarctica) have their own species of wild boar - from the African warthog to the Transbaikal warthog, which inhabits coniferous forests Eastern Siberia. But we can't say exactly where the largest wild boar in the world lives. Information about such specimens is available in most countries.

A large boar is a desirable trophy for a hunter. We are accustomed to consider the most dangerous beasts predators, but they somehow forgot about how scary a wild boar can be. However, in those days when it was more common, the wild boar was considered one of the most dangerous animals. If you remember the ancient Greek myths about the exploits of Hercules, then one of them was the killing of a huge boar that was ravaging the outskirts of the city. Subsequently, the skin of this giant great hero pulled it onto his shield.

The largest boar in the world is coveted hunting trophy for every thrill seeker.

The largest wild boar in the world is registered in Sverdlovsk region in 2015. The two-meter giant weighed more than 500 kg. The beast suddenly jumped out onto the path and rushed towards the man. Tom managed to hide behind a tree and fire 2 shots, one of which broke the carotid artery of the beast. It should be noted that the Ural hunter was incredibly lucky - a wounded cleaver leaves no chance.

This is truly amazing story, after all, not everyone is even a very accurate shooter and experienced hunter can take down a hog in two shots. And besides, it turned out that this was the largest killed wild boar in the world.

Since wild boar hunting was banned in this area for several years to restore the livestock and video cameras were placed to monitor the animals, the boar managed to reach such a large size. Gamekeepers assure that at least three more giant wild boars live in the forests near the village of Shokurovo in the Sverdlovsk region.

In the forests of the Sverdlovsk region, hunters shot a wild boar whose weight was 500 kg.

Other records

Probably, some primitive instincts force hunters to strive to get such noble prey as the largest wild boar in the world. And be sure to place this trophy in a place of honor in the house, or at least register a record in the Guinness Book.

• One dubious record was recorded in the state of Georgia in the USA. Allegedly, a giant boar with tusks longer than half a meter was killed there. Moreover, the beast was so terrible that hunters considered it a hybrid of a bear and a boar. However, this curious incident was recorded, and for a long time this animal was considered the largest wild boar in the world killed in a hunt.

• The next record was set by an eleven-year-old teenager who killed a boar, whose weight almost reached half a ton, 3.5 meters long. The boy, despite his early years Already an experienced hunter, he accidentally came across a cleaver, and before the animal reacted to his appearance, he killed him on the spot with several shots. And for four years it was the largest boar killed.

• The Old Slot boar from Great Britain is recognized as the largest domestic pig. Its weight reached 6 centners, its length was almost 3 meters, and its height at the withers was one and a half. This is the largest boar in the world.

The largest domestic pig lives in the UK and weighs more than 600 kg.

How to hunt a wild boar

A common tactic for hunting wild boars is to ambush them in front of the animal’s roosting area. Based on boar tracks, broken branches and pellets, experienced hunters determine the boar’s movement paths: where it goes to water, where it feeds and where it rests.

When a boar eats, it does not see anything around, and experienced hunters also take advantage of this. There are many nuances to hunting. For example, a wild boar has a very developed sense of smell, and you only need to approach it against the wind so as not to smell it.

The third method of hunting (the most common in the Middle Ages) is the drive. The cleaver, driven by a pack of dogs and beaters, purposefully headed to the place where many hunters were already waiting for him.

You can get a wild boar from an ambush placed opposite the animal’s bed.

Appearance

Wild boars are very different from their domesticated relatives. Reinforced powerful front, as if upturned on the legs, and a skinnier back, coarse hard stubble, a flat and long head and terrible fangs on the lower jaw. It is because of these fangs that boars are called cleavers. The canines are triangular in shape and grow throughout the boar’s life. The most dangerous enemy is considered to be a 5-7 year old boar, since at this time its tusks grow to 10 cm and are not yet bent back, as at an older age. On the chest of wild pigs the natural defense is thick fat layer, perhaps for protection from the fangs of fellow tribesmen.

Instructors advise: if you go into a forest where there are wild boars to pick berries or mushrooms, sing loudly. By doing this, you will allow the forest animals, who are also not eager to meet you, to get out of your way in advance. However, with your loud appearance you can attract the attention of two-legged predators who more dangerous than bears and cleavers combined.

Wild boars are easily domesticated and begin to take on the appearance of domestic animals familiar to us. The process of feralization of a domestic pig also occurs easily. Her stubble becomes coarser, fangs grow, and her build begins to resemble a wild boar. Sometimes you can distinguish a feral pig only by its color. The lifespan of a wild boar is about 10 - 15 years; in fenced areas they live up to 20 years. The largest wild boars in Russia are found in Primorye.

The appearance of a wild boar is strikingly different from appearance domestic pig.

Everyday life

Wild pigs lead night look life, during the day they sleep in caches, and at night they go hunting. Boars can prey on anything; they are absolutely omnivorous: plant rhizomes, small mammals, fish, earthworms and beetle larvae, various carrion. There are known cases where wild boars ate their wounded or dead relatives. They walk in a flock of four to six individuals. Only self-confident seasoned loppers and wild boars with a litter can allow themselves to wander alone. But these are the most dangerous opponents for humans.

Meeting in the forest

A sudden encounter with a wild boar in the forest can end very sadly - with death or serious injuries. Therefore, if you are going into an unknown wilderness, it would be prudent to inquire with local residents, what kind of living creatures live there. Even a huge boar is not looking for a meeting with a person, but since it has poor eyesight, it may let you get too close and will prefer to eliminate the threat when it notices it.

A sudden encounter with a wild boar can end in disaster.

Instructors recommend: when you see a boar from afar, try to leave it unnoticed dangerous place. If you do meet a wild boar, do not try to run away; it can easily catch up even with a cyclist. Without waiting for the boar to attack you, jump onto any tree, even one meter from the ground. Do not anger the animal by throwing pine cones, branches and other debris at it. You will not harm him, but the angry hog will wander under the tree for a long time, waiting for you to fall from it.

If you have a flare, there is no need to launch it at the boar: he will not be afraid, but will fly into a wild rage and try to get to you with all his considerable strength. By the way, a wild pig weighs approximately 200 kilograms, so you can imagine the result of your skirmish. Launch a rocket over the animal's head.

Neither a knife, nor a stun gun, nor a small gun will help you when meeting with a boar: it can only be killed with a shot in the head from a large-caliber firearms. So don’t be a hero, remember that even an experienced hunter with an excellent weapon will not make a direct attack on an angry beast. Moreover, a wounded cleaver becomes twice as dangerous and furious. So there may not be a chance for a second shot. There are cases when a huge boar won a fight with a tiger. So the wild boar remains a very dangerous object for hunting.

Only a gun large caliber capable of killing a wild boar outright.

Conclusion

A wide distribution area and easy adaptability have allowed wild pigs to maintain their population, although urbanization has forced them to become very crowded. IN rural areas wild boars still remain destroyers of crops, since protection from them is very expensive. Wild pigs very quickly learn to avoid traps, easily break fences and are not afraid of anything. The only one in an accessible way protection is licensed shooting in order to force animals to change territorial possessions.

In many areas, hunting for wild boars is periodically prohibited, as scientists have noticed that with constant shooting, the best and largest individuals suffer. As a result, the population declines and the wild boars become smaller and weaker. This policy regarding the preservation of the population has had its fruits, and forest giants can be found in the forests, as in ancient times. But whether it is worth destroying this beautiful and proud creation of nature in order to satisfy your primitive ambitions is up to you to decide.

Many farmers raise wild boars on their farms, and it would seem that everything is known about them. But among these wonderful animals there are absolutely incredible sizes. In the wild, such specimens usually do not grow, however, there are exceptions. There are officially recorded record holders among wild boars (boars).

There are not very many giant boars in the world. Most of them are representatives of the English language. It is considered the largest in the world. To date, three wild boars are known to have exceptionally enormous weight.

Record-breaking boar Old Slot

This legendary boar was born in the English county of Cheshire, to a farmer named Joseph Lawton. The event took place back in the 19th century, so little information about it has survived to this day. Old Slot weighed more than 6 tons, the height at the withers exceeded the 1.5-meter mark, and the length was 3 meters. The boar did not live long, but went down in history as the largest boar in the world. No one has yet managed to surpass its parameters.

Chun Chun

Chun-chun died from obesity, weighing 900 kg.

Another famous boar comes from China. He was born in 1999, and was the weakest and smallest in the litter. The farmer who bought six piglets at once could not have imagined that he would grow into such a giant. He diligently looked after the baby and even settled him in his house. While the five piglets grew up enough and were successfully sold, Chun-Chun remained with the owner. It still remained small and unsightly, and did not interest any of the buyers.

However, a year later the boar weighed more than 300 kilograms. But the old farmer loved his pet so much that he did not want to part with him. When the boar could no longer fit in the house, the owner made him a pen in the yard, and on the gate of his farm he hung a sign “Home of the Big Pig.” Crowds of people came to see the miracle boar, but not everyone succeeded. The farmer rarely showed his pet to the public.

Chun Chun lived only 4 years and died of obesity in 2004. At the time of death, his weight was more than 900 kilograms and his length was 2.5 meters. The owner mourned the pet for a long time, but still agreed to have a stuffed animal made from the boar’s carcass. It still adorns the walls of the museum today. Agriculture V Chinese province Liaoning.

Big Bill

The boar from Tennessee weighed more than 1100 kg.

The history of this boar of the Polish-Chinese breed deserves attention. He was the first to be officially registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest wild boar in the world. Big Bill weighed just over a ton (1,157 kilograms) and was about 3 meters long. Its owner, Tennessee farmer Elias Butler, had high hopes for the pet.

In 1933, he decided to take the boar to the World's Fair in Chicago to get his well-deserved first place. But the unexpected happened. On the way, the boar unexpectedly broke his leg. The owner, trying to help, incorrectly calculated the dose of painkiller, which is why the boar died. A stuffed animal was made from his carcass, which was displayed in the circus for some time. But it soon disappeared and has not yet been found.

The largest boar in the world at present

Today we know of at least two huge domestic boars. Just recently, another giant, the boar Manyunya from the Ukrainian Dokuchaevsk, Donetsk region, died. His owner, pensioner Dmitry Pivovar, claims that he did not feed his pet anything special. For almost seven years of his life, he gained more than a ton of weight. However, in Lately The wild boar began to lose weight sharply, which was the reason for its slaughter. The pensioner wanted his pet to die a natural death, but when Manyuni’s weight dropped to 500 kilograms, he still decided to take him to the slaughterhouse.

The record holder among wild boars weighs 750 kg.

Now alive and well in China is the boar that won the “King of Pig” competition, held annually in Henan province. The winner's dimensions are impressive: weight 750 kilograms, height just more than a meter and length 2.1 meters. The winner's nickname is unknown, but the parameters are officially recorded.

Giant wild boar

The photograph has been declared a hoax.

In 2004, information appeared in the press that V American state Georgia, a giant boar was found killed during a hunt. He was shot by amateur hunter Chris Griffin. The boar weighing 450 kg had incredible fangs (about 70 cm), which do not exist in, and the body length was more than 3 meters. Later, scientists proved that the animal was a cross between a domestic pig and a wild boar and was raised on a farm, from where it escaped.

Another forest monster was killed in the United States, in the state of Alabama in 2011. The owner of the trophy was allegedly an 11-year-old boy named Jameson Stone, who personally fired nine bullets at the boar. The press even published a photo of a shot animal, weighing 470 kg and almost 3 m long. However, experts who studied the photo said that it was a fake. In reality, the carcass turned out to be much smaller than the declared parameters.

The largest wild boar in the world was killed

The wild boar killed in the Sverdlovsk region weighed 550 kg.

Just recently, the Internet literally exploded with shocking news: the largest wild boar in the world was killed in the Sverdlovsk region, near the village of Shakurovo. This event happened in the winter of 2015.

The monster was shot by amateur hunter Pyotr Maksimov. He claims that this was done with the second shot, and the first bullet only slightly grazed the animal. When the man saw how much the trophy weighed, he couldn’t believe his eyes. The mass of the killed boar was 550 kg, and its height was almost 2 m.

Of all types of hunting, the most dangerous and difficult is wild boar hunting. Any hunter knows that the boar is distinguished by its ferocious temperament and aggressiveness. And a wounded man is even capable of tearing apart an entire detachment of armed men. Shooting such an animal and staying alive is incredible luck.

Interesting! Zoological scientists who studied the carcass came to the conclusion that the cause of such dimensions could only be a serious genetic mutation. They claim that such an animal simply could not grow in the wild.

Huge boars in myths and legends

There are many myths and legends in the world about these amazing animals:

• In Scandinavian myths, there is a heavenly chamber for soldiers killed in battle - Valhalla. Every day the warriors cook a huge boar over a fire and eat it, and in the morning the wonderful boar comes to life and runs into the forest to return in the evening.

Interesting! In the East, the boar is considered the master of the courtyard and represents passion, naivety and pleasure. Among the Druids, he seems to be the embodiment of the spirit. In China, this animal is a symbol of nobility, courage and prosperity. And in Christian mythology he is one of the incarnations of the demon.

• The boar is mentioned in many ancient greek myths. For example, Hercules killed a huge boar in his fourth labor. This terrible beast lived on Mount Erymanth and terrified all the inhabitants of Thessaly. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to grab the boar and deliver it to him. After an unequal battle with the centaurs, the hero still managed to get to the beast’s lair and catch it.
• Another legend tells of a ferocious boar, which was sent to Calydon by the goddess Aphrodite, who was offended by King Oeneus. Many great heroes went hunting. The battle was hard and long, but Atlanta and Meleager still managed to defeat the beast.
• Another myth speaks of the beautiful Adonis, the favorite of Aphrodite. One day, in her absence, Adonis went hunting and met a huge boar. Before the young hunter had time to raise his spear, the monster pounced on him and mortally wounded him.

The largest boar sculpture in the world

In the photo: a statue of a boar in Florence.

The huge iron boar Voynich can rightfully be considered one of the landmarks of France. It is located near the cities of Charleville-Mezières and Rathel. It took French sculptor Eric Sleziak almost 11 years to create it. The giant weighs about 50 tons, height 9.5 m, width 5 m and length 11 m. The cost of the sculpture is almost 600 thousand euros.

Watch the video where the largest wild boar was killed.

It is common among hunters and fishermen to boast about their “incredibly large” catch, regardless of whether this is true. Fortunately, nature is generous enough to periodically reward hunters with really cool trophies.

It would be interesting to know, probably, what was the largest killed wild boar in the world? Boars, as you know, are very dangerous for hunters; getting them is very difficult. And yet people go at them, enter into battle with heavy beast and defeat him. So how heavy can a boar be? Of course, you shouldn’t rely solely on hunters’ stories. But for high-quality records, it’s fine.

Twelve years ago, a giant wild pig was shot dead in the US state of Georgia. This specimen was even nicknamed Cabzilla. However, based on the results of a study of the animal by zoologists, the sturgeon had to be cut back somewhat. The initially stated 380 kilograms and 3.5 meters turned into 360 kg and 2.4 meters, respectively. In another state (Alabama), they managed to destroy a much more massive wild boar, which was only 20 kilograms short of half a ton. He had an “honest” three hundred and fifty centimeters in length, and his fangs were thirteen centimeters.

But even the largest wild boar killed during hunting is inferior to animals bred in captivity. The record apparently belongs to Old Slot, who lived in the UK. According to some stories, it reached a mass of more than six tons (!). True, most likely, this is already fiction and overkill. But it is quite clear that the conditions of confinement, with stable nutrition and other measures aimed specifically at gaining weight, are much more favorable than in the wild.

And the largest wild boar killed in Russia during a hunt can probably lay claim to the world championship. It was caught by a hunter with almost twenty years of experience near the village of Shokurovo, in the Sverdlovsk region. The weight of the boar definitely exceeded half a ton, but how much cannot be said, because the hunter did not have suitable scales at his disposal.

It’s interesting that Pyotr Maksimov, who came across the record-breaking animal, managed to shoot it on November 13, 2015, exactly on Friday (note to mysticism lovers!). To get the boar home, we had to drag it on a rope, and it was only possible to finish it off with the third shot. The first bullet enraged the animal, the second forced it to rush at the attackers, who were lucky enough to hide behind a tree.

The mass of the prey can be estimated at least by the fact that the cutting winch, designed for half a ton, was unable to lift the boar carcass before the head was cut off and the skin removed.

Previously, hunting had not been carried out in this area for three years; they tried to restore the number of animals as much as possible. The giant had already been caught on video cameras installed by the rangers, but had never come out to people before. It is assumed that three more record holders still live in the Sverdlovsk forests.