Country diary: Deep in the woods, the unmistakable whiff of wild boar | Sean Wood

Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway: This part of Scotland has two populations, and their growing numbers mean they are likely to meet soonOn entering the Galloway Forest on 1 April, wood anemones flowering already and bluebells ready to burst, I was asked by a local forester: "Have you seen the wild boar yet?" It was no April fool. My neck of the woods, near Dalbeattie, just north of the Solway Firth, is a hot spot for wild boar (Sus scrofa). And yet, despite the males weighing in at around 150kg, it is possible to miss them, many times over in fact. So I had to say no.On several more occasions, I returned to try to find these denizens of the deep woods. There are two separate groups in Dumfries and Galloway, descendants of farm escapees (both accidental and deliberate), and with their ability to produce up to 10 piglets at the time, the two groups are likely to meet soon. The UK population stands at between 500 and 2,000, and their overall impact on woodland diversity is not yet clear. There are concerns about the transmission of foot and mouth disease, and swine fever, and they can certainly cause agricultural damage, though at low densities it appears they can be useful ecosystem engineers. Continue reading...