Wild Boars of the Iberian Forest

Oliver dropped to all fours and crept forward, whiskers twitching. The quiet grunts grew clearer: soft snuffles, little huffs, and the gentle rustle of leaves being pushed aside. He parted a curtain of thyme and broom, and there, in a sun-dappled hollow, he saw them at last.

A small family of wild boars nosed through the fallen leaves. Their dark, bristly coats shimmered in the light, and their strong snouts ploughed the earth in busy zigzags. Now and then, one lifted its head to sniff the breeze, always watchful. Oliver noticed how they stayed close together, the younger ones keeping near the larger, older boars.

“They live in family groups,” he wrote quietly. “They warn each other of danger and search for food as a team.”