Verona Strauss.comjust because life is fun! …

Wild boar in the forest of dean

Verona went on a wild boar hunt today in a woods at Ross on Wye. After being hunted to extinction more than 300 years ago wild boar are roaming and breeding in the British countryside again.

They met up with a forest ranger who took them through the woods to hunt for clues. They saw both deer and boar footprints and Verona and the children learned which were which.

An adult male can weigh 100-175kg and live for 10-12 years.

Then they saw a tree with mud on it next to a wallow hole. On closer inspection they could see boar bristles sticking in the mud and each child had a souvenir to take home!

They also saw traps which entice the boars. These traps are checked every day by the Forestry Commission - I’m not sure for what, but I read on a website that the forestry commission have started culling them. Apparently, five children can fit in to one of the traps, so Verona guesses wild boars are pretty big animals.

However, the highlight of the morning was a trip in the back of the Forestry Commission truck - 9 or so children came bouncing down the lane in the glorious sunshine with smiles on their faces.