Wild boars live with Bodrum residents

MUĞLA – Anadolu Agency

Wild boars searching for food up and down the streets almost every day are living side by side with locals in the southwestern province of Muğla in the district of Bodrum. 

It has recently become common to see the wild boars hovering along the narrow streets lined with white houses with blue doors and shutters in the district. They particularly search for food in the Konacık, Bitez and Cumhuriyet neighborhoods all day and night.

Locals who see the boars almost everyday say they have become accustomed to living together with the boars. 

Some people are uncomfortable with the boars walking on the streets, adding that they are harmless animals as long as they are not disturbed, said Bodrum Hunters Club official Ethem Yavaş. 

“They are mostly seen next to the garbage containers. So we often see them in front of our houses. Boars generally start reproducing at the end of October and November. The length of their gestation period is three months, three weeks and three days. They give birth at the beginning of summer. Female boars may attack to protect their babies. This is the most important thing to pay attention to. If they have babies with them, it is better to stay away,” said Yavaş, adding that their only problem is finding food. 

Some people call them to ask for help when they see the boars, said the official. 

“They call us and say we should hunt them. But it is not possible for us to hunt in residential areas. We can take some measures to prevent them from coming. For example, we can leave our food or waste in a place they cannot reach. Boars are very useful for nature. They are the only animals that mix seeds with the soil. Plants grow thanks to the boars. It is useful for us to learn how to live together with wild boars,” he said.