Wednesday, August 3, 2011

'Ferocious' boars who roam the Forest of Dean transformed into lovable piggies who will eat out of tourists' hands

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Heart-warming: Photographer David Slater, pictured, spent months getting up close and personal with the beasts deemed so dangerous to people by the authorities they must be gunned down

These are the heart-warming images that show a never seen side to Britain's 'ferocious' wild boar as they are stroked and even eat out of people's hands.

Photographer David Slater spent years getting up close and personal with the 'beasts' deemed so dangerous to people by the authorities they must be gunned down.

But Mr Slater claims the boar - once extinct from the UK - could be heading that way again because of poor animal management, fear propaganda, and money.


Up close: One boar gets close to a pensioner in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. They have a reputation for being 'ferocious'


Studying his local population of the pigs in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, the wildlife photographer has captured the beauty of an animal so misunderstood by mankind.

Far from being ferocious Mr Slater's images show an adult wild boar being stroked by local people and even the animal being friendly with their pet dogs.


Nice to meet you: A boar is pictured being friendly with a pet dog. There are just 40 to 50 boar left in the core of the Forest, according to Mr Slater


In another shot the adorably cute piglets - with their light striped coats - can be seen enjoying the forest with their protective mother.

Mr Slater admits boar can be aggressive to protect their young, just like cows or deer. On average there are two deaths and 60 injuries to people by cattle each year in the UK.

source: dailymail


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