Pigs

WILD BOAR (Sus Scrofa):

This is the ancestor of the domestic pig. In the wild, males can reach up to 150 cm or more in length, although their size varies within their range. The Dutch introduced the wild boar to Mauritius in 1606, when just nine individuals arrived.

By 1709, they had spread so much that they had become a serious pest, and hunting had to be introduced to limit their numbers and destruction. Today they can be found in all forested areas of the island; they are still regarded as pests and are extensively hunted. The wild boar is known as cochon marron in Mauritius.