Wild Boars of the Iberian Forest

A sharp crack rang out from deeper in the forest, like a stick snapped in two. At once, every wild boar froze. Their ears pricked forward, and their short tails stiffened. The largest boar gave a low, serious grunt. In a heartbeat, the whole family gathered close together.

Oliver watched, hardly daring to breathe. The boars lifted their noses, testing the air. Finding no scent of danger, they did not run wildly. Instead, they slipped quietly into the thicker bushes, becoming almost invisible among the shadows and leaves. “They rely on hearing and smell,” Oliver wrote, “and they stay together. If truly afraid, they can run very fast and push through undergrowth with their strong bodies and tusks. But they prefer to hide and avoid trouble.”