warning sign
If it smells like Maggie in the woods, you better get out!
Follow your nose – this tip can save lives in the woods. So the smell of Maggi could indicate the presence of a wild boar. If you smell it, back off is the order of the day.
from
Fairy Annabelle Ribling
published
With it raining like spring so far, people are now being pushed outside.
IMAGO / Cromorang
Mostly one destination: the jungle.
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But where people are looking for peace and relaxation, many wild animals are at home. About wild boar. Although they are really peaceful animals, it is best not to get too close to them.
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Encountering wild boar is particularly risky in the spring, as the animals have piglets at this time of year and are therefore particularly alert.
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Our nose can help us avoid animals. Because if she smells Maggie in the woods, wild boars are usually not far away.
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A look at the ground can also provide information: the footprints of a wild boar are similar to those of a deer. In addition to the two alleged shells in the foreground, the figures of two dewclaws – also known as an axe – are also clearly visible.
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The tracks regularly used by wild boars are also clearly visible: they can dig entire meadows in their search for acorns, worms, beetles or carrion.
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If you suddenly stand up to a wild boar, the motto is: keep calm, stay calm and distance yourself slowly, according to Swiss Animal Welfare. Violent movements should be avoided. Make sure that the animal or animals cannot see you as a danger.
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If this does not help and the wild boar attacks, stretch out your hands and clap loudly. This can discourage the animal from its intention.
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If possible, climb a tree or perch. If neither one nor the other is possible, always move to the side – the animal that is already fleeing is trying to “run over” the person.
Photo by IMAGO/Bihlmayer
And back to Maggi’s smell of wild boar: According to Berlin wildlife biologist Konstantin Borner, this is “sheer coincidence.” It’s not because animals love to eat lovage, also known as Maggi grass.
imago photos/photography shop
Maggi’s love scent is also coincidental. Because Maggi does not contain reagents. The fact that the sauce smells spicy and plant-based is due to the fact that the vegetable protein in Maggi “is broken down into its building blocks—amino acids—in a biological fermentation process,” according to the manufacturer. This creates a distinct aroma of spice, which is very similar to the taste of lovage.
IMAGO / imagebroker
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Encountering a wild boar can be dangerous, especially when it has offspring.
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But the intense scent of Maggie scares the animals from afar.
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If an encounter does occur, it is important to remain calm.
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If this does not help and an attack occurs, you should clap your hands loudly.
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You should also avoid the animal – up or to the side.
Beautiful and relaxing like a walk in the woods, under certain circumstances it can also be dangerous – for example if you meet a wild animal. While wild boar rarely live up to the first part of their name, one has to be encounter them in the wild Better avoid. Because animals weighing up to 170 kilograms can classify a dangerous approach and attack.
Wild boars are especially prevalent in or near the forest, but they also love beaches. In Alicante, Spain, there was a confrontation with injuries in 2022.
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To prevent this from happening in the first place, you should “listen” to your nose in and around the woods. Because the scent of animals reveals their presence: according to experts, it smells intensely of love, also called Maggi grass. The plant got its name because its aroma is strongly reminiscent of the famous Swiss spice sauce (see box).
If you look at Maggi’s ingredient list, you won’t find any reagents. Spices are not in it at all. The fact that the spice sauce and the plant still smell the same is due to the fact that the vegetable protein in Maggi “is broken down into its building blocks—amino acids—in a biological fermentation process,” according to the manufacturer. This creates a distinct aroma of spice, which is very similar to the taste of lovage. This is sotolon, which can smell like maple syrup or caramel, but in high concentrations like cashmere.
So, if you smell the well-known spicy sauce in the forest, you should be especially careful and, at best, turn back – there is a high probability that a wild boar or a whole herd of wild boars is nearby.
What other methods are there to find out if there is a wild boar in the area?
You can also monitor its tracks. Wild boars are even-toed ungulates. Their footprints are like those of deer. In addition to the two alleged shells in the foreground, the figures of two dewclaws – also known as an axe – are also clearly visible (see photo). Also, the tracks that wild boars regularly use are clearly visible: in search of acorns, worms, beetles or carrion. They can dig up entire meadows.
The tracks also provide clues to nearby wild animals.
imago / Steinach photos
What should I do if I encounter a wild boar?
Then it’s time to keep calm, calm and slowly walk away, according to Swiss Animal Protection. Avoid frantic movements. Make sure that the boar or pigs cannot see you as a danger. So do not try to approach animals. Especially the new students. This can awaken the protective instincts of the parent animals. You should also not feed the animals. Basically, they are peace-loving animals that fear humans.
What should I do if a wild boar is attacked?
Wild boars hear well. Take advantage of this and scare them away. According to the animal rights organization Peta, the best way to do this is to make yourself big and clap your hands loudly. Even then, you shouldn’t be overheating. If possible, climb a tree or perch. If neither one nor the other is possible, always go to the side – The fleeing animal is actually trying to “run over” the human.
Wild boar in Switzerland
The native range extends from Western Europe to Southeast Asia. Due to exposure in North and South America, Australia and many islands, it is now distributed almost all over the world. In Switzerland, they now inhabit Mittelland, the Jura, parts of Ticino, and the Rhone Valley. In addition, they are increasingly penetrating the alpine slopes. It is not clear how many animals there are in this country. There are no charges. Shooting dates provide guidance. The following applies: The more wild boars are killed, the larger the stocks are likely to be. And it seems to be growing, like data From the Federal Statistical Office show – Also as a result of climate change. In 1970 only 60 animals were shot, and in 2000 there were already 4,160 animals. Twenty years later 9,819 animals were reported dead. In 2021 there were 15,728.
Can I see a wild boar about to attack?
Yes. A wild boar can be seen when it feels threatened or upset. Then they begin to snort, build their tails, and chatter their teeth. If you see it, you must react.
I’m always outside with my dog - am I protected?
No, you are in fact facing a particular challenge. If you meet a pig, try to keep your dog calm. Otherwise, he may feel threatened and attacked. Whoever attacks depends on which of you he considers the boss. If the boar assumes you are in charge, it will attack you. If he thinks your dog is yours, it will be him. Then you better let him off leash. Then he gets the chance to run away and run away from the boar.
Wild boar attacks don’t always focus on living things: in August 2020, a family of wild boars robbed a man’s belongings on a nudist meadow in Berlin.
The man took up the chase – in Adam’s costume. He had to follow the wild boar – and his stolen laptop – into the woods.
He finally came back with his laptop and got an applause.
How common are wild boar attacks?
Direct attacks from wild boars on humans are rare but do happen (watch the videos). sometimes They also enter people’s homes. However, accidents involving motor vehicles, usually on roads with moderate traffic, at night are more frequent than home visits and attacks on people. Even in this case, you should not approach them, but inform the police.
At the beginning of 2024, two winter sports enthusiasts at the Japanese ski resort of Myoko are frightened when they are suddenly attacked by a wild animal.
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Surprise beach guest: This wild boar approached bathers in Germany from the sea in August 2020.
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Something similar happened in 2021 on the beach in Mielno, Poland.
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