Boars and broken cars

Boars and Broken cars

Have you ever had one of those days? 

You know one of those days when you think life is just getting better, and then BANG it all goes wrong again.

The other day was one of those days.

I have been battling to get things off the ground again and had a really positive meeting with someone in the local town of Santa Croce di Magliano.

Driving back to Lucito via Castelbottaccio, I took a little detour.

I stopped to take some pictures of some ancient old Olive trees, just outside the village of Lupara, then clambered back into my car, to set off again.

The car would not start...

What had happened? 

The clutch had gone. 

So I was going NOWHERE

I LAUGHED.....WHAT ELSE COULD I DO....???

I realised too I had no phone signal so had to wander up the road waving the phone in the air until it eventually picked up a couple of bars

A breakdown was promised in an hour, so I just had to sit and wait. 

In the meantime

A rustle in the undergrowth...........................................................

I glanced around to see ten wild boars

 charge out into the Olive grove beside me.

I did not have a chance to grab my camera,  so just stood watching them for a few minutes. 

When they saw me they took fright disappearing off into the undergrowth.

A few minutes later a larger boar came marching out from the amongst the trees so I thought it safer to clamber back into the car.

He stood staring at me. He seemed to be trying to decide whether I was a threat to him and his family.

Boars rarely attack people unless they feel really threatened or are protecting their young. But there are occasions when they do the results can be quite unpleasant.

Eventually, he must have decided I wasn't and he crashed through the bushes to join the others.

I am used to the countryside and animals so was not unduly worried, although he was rather large.

A boar I met a few months ago was rather more unfortunate. He charged my car, breaking the wing of the car. He carried on crossing the road, with out a scratch on him. Although I am sure he had a headache!

BOARS .... 

There are quite a number of boars here in Molise, and I have even had one trot past my window.

SO WHAT IS A BOAR ?

For those of you, who don't know...

They are wild pigs, related to domestic pigs.

A big solid animal with a big head, and long hefty body. They have a brown bristly coat, with a softer layer underneath.

Molise is famous for the Truffles, which grow in abundance in this area. Boars are rather partial to them, much to the frustration of the local Truffle hunters.

They live deep in the forest and are happy near water, so are often found in the valleys foraging in the undergrowth.

Their diet is a selection of roots, fruit, nuts and any type of vegetation. But they are not particularly fussy eating anything they can get hold of, as they are big animals so have a ferocious appetite 

With poor eyesight, they depend on their sense of smell. They dig a lot creating havoc in the vineyards and Olive groves, as they drive their long noses into the ground like a very effective bulldozer.

The males have tusks and will use them to attack their prey. In the mating season, the males will fight each other in competition for the females.

On the whole, the males prefer their own company, only seeking out the company of the females during the mating season, between November and January.

The babies are very cute, as all small animals are. Initially, they have stripes, which start to fade when they are about three months old. They then get a bit braver and start to trundle off with the others on foraging trips.

By the time they are seven months old the stripes disappear completely becoming a rusty orange brown colour. 

They live until they are about fifteen and twenty years old. Very hardy animals they can survive in all weathers.

Their only predators are us, as many find Wild Boar sausages very tasty,

 Wolves will attack and kill them too, and while there are not as many here as there were they can still many resident here in Molise.

Despite this, they are here in abundance, but like all the animals who can live along side man, we need to leave them to live their lives, while we live ours.

Nature is a question of harmony. 

Here in Molise, one can walk in fields and forest, on sandy beaches, and rocky mountain paths discovering nature's beauty in every corner.

We need to appreciate what we have, and even start to share it just a little more

BACK HOME...

My knight in shining armour came along and he dragged my poor broken car home...THANK YOU

Never mind, I need to loose a bit of weight so will enjoy the extra walking I have to do till I am on the road again....

More blogs on every aspect of life here in Molise, 

molisematters.blogspot.com

molisejustart.blogspot.com