Environmental Agents from the Conselh Generau d’Aran have initiated an investigation to confirm and learn more details of what could be the first documented case in Valle de Aran of a fatal attack by a bear on an adult wild boar. The incident occurred on a county road last weekend and was filmed by a local resident from his private vehicle. A part of the filming has been broadcast on social networks on the Internet.
The Conselh Generau d’Aran, government of the Vall d’Aran, has given credence to the images and has traveled to the area indicated by the neighbor who filmed the video, where they found the remains of the dead and partially devoured wild boar. The agents have collected biological samples from the bear (hair) as well as from the dead wild boar. The genetic identification of the bear will be carried out with the samples collected from the bear, in order to find out which individual it is, the Consell has indicated through its website.
The official statement indicates that “last weekend, some residents of Val d’Aran while driving at night along a secondary road in the Baish Aran were able to see and record how a young bear attacked a wild boar on the same road until it was killed and consumed.” partially on the same road.”
Sources consulted by La Vanguardia have indicated that the images were recorded on Sunday night in the Toran Valley (Canejan, Baish Aran) from one of the vehicles of a group of hunters, residents of the region.
One of the details that could be known from the veterinary analyzes that will be carried out is the state of health of the attacked and dead wild boar. In the videos released, it is observed, in this sense, that the wild boar (a young specimen) appears relatively passive in the presence and attack of the bear. This attitude could be the result of the boar’s poor physical condition, although it cannot be ruled out that it had been previously hit by a vehicle. “The wild boar could be injured, but it is also possible that its reaction was the result of surprise from the attack,” said Marc Alonso, Depana technician and expert in the study and monitoring of the bear population in the Pyrenees.
The images show, on the other hand, that the attacking bear is also a relatively young specimen. Bear activity in the Pyrenees at this time of year is relatively low. Under normal conditions, “most of the bears in this area leave the bear dens in mid-March, but in this case it could be both an advance in this recovery after the winter rest and that some bear had not hibernated due to the temperatures.” highs this season,” says Marc Alonso.
The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is an omnivorous species. Although between 70 and 80% of its diet is vegetable fraction, such as fruits, seeds, nuts, roots and herbaceous vegetation, it complements its diet with various foods of animal origin such as insects, honey and some pieces of wild and domestic ungulates. , in addition to being an opportunistic species that can take advantage of any type of carrion in case of need for food.
The predation of wild boars by bears has been documented in various areas and, according to sources consulted, it is not the first known case in the Pyrenees, although it is the first case in which it has been possible to capture images.
The scene broadcast now would be exceptional, at the very least, due to the fact that it occurred on a road and with the presence of a camera.