A few kilometers from the village of Couteaux, in Haute-Loire, nature has written a story that seems straight out of a film. And it’s no coincidence that they called him Babe, just like the famous pig on the big screen. Here, however, the protagonist is a very young wild boar, who suddenly appeared between the legs of some imposing Comtois mares. In an area where the presence of ungulates is common and hunting trips are part of the seasonal news, no one would have expected such a tender scene: an orphan welcomed and protected by a mare. Yet it happened.
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The adoption that surprised an entire village
The first sighting dates back to an ordinary morning. The little boar was there, among the mares, as if it had always been part of the herd. Where he came from remains a mystery: perhaps his mother was killed, perhaps he got lost. The fact is that he chose to stay and no one pushed him away.
It was Naya, a powerful Comtois mare, who conquered him. His behavior leaves no doubt: he defends him, calls him with a whinny, licks him as he would a foal. When the boar approaches, she moves carefully, placing her hooves carefully so as not to hurt him. If someone tries to enter the enclosure, the response is immediate: the maternal instinct takes over. The scene repeats itself almost every day, in full light, a few meters from the houses. A rare event for a nocturnal and wary animal like the wild boar.
Dried bread and ran towards the woods
The little boy soon learned to share the habits of the farm. When the croutons intended for the horses arrive, he grabs one and runs away with a skipping step towards the grassy hill. Shortly afterwards he disappears at the edge of the woods, where he probably dug his refuge. In recent days his appearance has been changing: the light streaks of his coat are fading, his snout is getting dirty with dirt, a sign that he is starting to look for food independently. It grows. And with growth comes questions.
Its story has touched the inhabitants, but not everyone looks at it with the same enthusiasm. A prefectural ordinance provides for the culling of animals whose behavior is considered “abnormal”. However, the breeder who hosts the horses opposes any drastic hypothesis. For him the little one does not represent a danger: he follows the mares, does not damage the fields.
The unknown of the future remains. Perhaps, when he is strong enough, the young boar will leave his adoptive mother to return to the woods permanently. Until then, between the meadow and the stable, an unexpected fairy tale continues to live, where the boundary between wild and domestic becomes surprisingly thin.
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