“At first, several boars leisurely emerged onto a sun-warmed slope, paying no attention to the horses grazing nearby. The horses, noticing them, huddled together, while the boars, sensing a human presence, quickly disappeared into a mountain ravine,” shared a local resident.
Ecologist Alexander Sosnovsky commented on this incident:
“In winter, wild boars usually gather in small groups led by an experienced female. This makes it easier for them to move through deep snow. Young individuals rely on adults, who know better where to find food and how to avoid dangers. The group creates a common shelter by piling dry grass, moss, and reeds into a mound, where they lie down to keep warm. Typically, the young find shelter in the center, where they are protected by the warmth of the adults. Although boars continue to search for food in winter by digging through the snow, snowless frosts can be deadly for them, as the ground in the mountains freezes to a great depth, becoming as hard as stone. In such winters, many of them die from exhaustion, and weakened animals become easy prey for predators. There is also a tendency towards cannibalism: boars may attack their weaker kin and eat them.”
