No Waste in The Wild

D is for a drift of wild boars traveling on their common trodden paths along the cold mountains of Russia and in the tropical wetlands of Florida. Wild boars are warm-blooded mammals. They have even body temperatures making them able to live all around the world in cold or hot climates. A fully grown wild boar weighs up to a whopping 300 pounds. These feral swine sport an unusually small head with a large neck and torso. They strut around on four, skinny legs showing off their narrow rear end with a wagging tail. A main characteristic specific to a matured wild boar is its two, sharp tusks protruding upward from the lower jaw. Newborn wild boars are called farrows. At first, these mammal piggies are hairless, but as they mature, a thin coat of bristly fur grows on their body along with a set of wiry whiskers protruding from each side of their snout. The farrow siblings have individual colored fur coats ranging from shades of gray, black, brown, or a red and black brindle pattern. Like all mammals, newborn farrows rely on their mother’s milk for nutrition, which replenishes their energy for moving and growing. A mother’s milk is considered a complete food for her farrow and supplies plenty of hydration. When the farrows are newly weaned, they are called shoats. The mother keeps her shoats close by her side for life, teaching them the ways of the wild. A drift of wild boars leaves their cloven footprints embedded in the mountain’s muddy trails. These distinct hoof impressions are a sign to other animals that the beasts are on the move. Wild boars are in the eating mood most of the time. They stomp through grassy fields and chomp through barriers following the distinct whiff of rotten carrion. Upon arrival at the common feeding site, the larger, more eager wild boar makes hearty snort sounds and kicks up the dirt with his heels. He headbutts the others bullying his way to get to the first bite of the flesh and bone buffet. If another animal disturbs family meal time, the drift of boars makes loud squealing sounds with their snouts as a serious warning for the intruder to back away. Most animals know instinctively to leave – or they might end up as desert. The wild boar gluttons put their lower tusks to work. They rip the carcass into chunks and gobble it down with vigor. A few wild boars drag the remains, bones and all, back to their burrows and share it with their families. There’s no waste in the wild - even the bloody fur from the carcass is plucked away by birds for nest building. The remains of the carcass eventually decompose on the ground. There’s no waste in the wild. Through time, with the help of oxygen, sun, soil, and water, the nutritious fungus and microorganisms will cultivate - creating an ecosystem where new plants grow for animals to eat. It’s the food chain when one living thing relies on another living thing for nutrition to keep thriving.