“At first, several boars leisurely came out onto the sun-warmed slope, ignoring the horses grazing nearby. The horses, frightened, gathered the herd, and the boars, sensing humans, quickly disappeared into the gorge,” shared a local resident.
Ecologist Alexander Sosnovsky commented on the incident:
“In winter, wild boars usually gather in small groups led by an experienced female. This helps them break through the snow cover more easily. Young individuals find protection and food near older ones, who are more familiar with local feeding areas and know how to avoid dangers. During the winter, such groups create a communal bedding area, using dry grass, moss, and reeds to make it cozy. They dig a little pit to shelter in, and usually, the young ones position themselves in the center, receiving warmth from the adults. Despite the winter conditions, boars continue to search for food, digging under the snow. However, snowless frosts become particularly dangerous for them, as the ground in the mountains freezes deeply and turns to stone. In such harsh winters, many of them die from exhaustion. Weakened animals become easy prey for predators and may also exhibit cannibalism, attacking their own kind,” he noted.
