Wild Boars of the Iberian Forest

Oliver crouched very still as the wild boars worked their way beneath the cork oaks. With soft little grunts, they pushed aside the leaves and soon uncovered a treasure: plump brown acorns, scattered like marbles on the forest floor.

The largest boar nudged an acorn free and crunched it contentedly. The younger ones copied, cracking the hard shells with their strong jaws. Oliver’s paw flew across his notebook. “They love acorns,” he wrote, “but also roots, bulbs, fallen fruit, and insects. Wild boars are omnivores – they eat plants and small animals.”

He added another note: “By eating fallen acorns, they help control how many new trees grow, keeping the forest in balance.”