When the inhabitants of Port-Cros ( Var ) discovered tracks of a wild boar on their coasts a few weeks ago, they first thought that was a hoax. The isle is separated from the continent by about ten kilometres, and is certainly an ecologic heaven for sea-birds. Not one single big wild mammal settled there though. How then a wild neighbour of the pig could have had a walk on the beach if it is but... by coming from the sea?

" Either badly intentioned people came on the isle and deliberately left a wild boar there, or the animal arrived swimming, what has already been seen, says Richard Baréty, ancient engineer in the national park of Port-Cros, and today responsible of the project at the littoral conservatory.
The sailors on the coast have all observed wild boars swimming far from the coasts. He could have been stalked at the time of a beat, has thrown himself to the sea to escape the dogs, to then swim  straight ahead and being carried by a favourable flow until the isle."
If so, then Laure Manaudou would have found her instructor... swimming instructor!
Indeed, even if the "ginger beasts" are known for their nautical competences, the visitor of Port-Cros there realised a huge performance. " It is even an exploit", greets Richard Baréty.
" Fifty years ago, a wild boar has been found drowned on the isle, and another one was dug up in the sea ten years later near a small isle not far from Port-Cros, reports Jean Pierre Nicol, the director of the national park. Thus this beast has been very lucky, and it is exceptional she managed to get until here."

He makes people either amused or annoyed

Along the littoral, in the heart of the "salins d'Hyères", seven or eight wild boars have been signalled. Though according to the specialists, the solitary of Port-Cros could come      " most probably from the cap Bénat ", in the area of Brégançon. On the isle the wild pig is subjected to jabbering anyway. Despite the discovery of the animal's footprints in the north and south of the isle, a lot of people doubted its real presence, until it was photographed by a tricky camera, which automatically goes off when detecting a passing.
"He weighs between 30 and 40 kg, and already started to make damage", details Jean-Pierre Nicol. Far from being idiot, the wild boar quickly found water and food to recover from his sea-bath. " He went to look for places with water and he fell back on temporary ponds by attacking scarce vegetals", underlines Richard Baréty. " On the isle, there are those who are amused by this, those who want to protect him, those who are annoyed by the damage caused by the animal, and those who would like to nibble him" smiles a regular lady of the isle.
" At the moment  it is not a catastrophe yet, but if the damage become too important, it is going to be problematic and we might have to capture him", explains the director of the national park. " To find a wild boar in the middle of the 680 hectares of forest massifs is like looking for a needle in a haystack. " So, to run across him we'll have to hide ourselves still several successive nights."

An all-ground animal

Eric Baubet is in charge of studying wild boars in the national Office for hunting and wildlife      ( ONCFS ). He estimates the fact a wild boar could have reached on his own the isle of Port-Cros " possible", even if he was "undeniably lucky". " These are animals that can swim very well and that are able to cross ponds, lakes and even rivers such as the Rhône without any difficulty, explains the specialist. In Japan, wild boars were photographed in the middle of the sea crossing from one isle to another. Sometimes it even happens that some animals are caught in fishermen's nets. I also heard that young wild boars are able to swim to death, even if it means drown by sinking straight down".
On the isle of Port-Cros the ginger beast won't have any difficulty to get the new status of Robinson Crusoé anyway. " As soon as he has access to water and he can eat fruits, roots or bulbs, he is going to adapt himself quite easily."

A wild bear of this European species has chosen to live on the isle of Port-Cros. The chances for him to be well adapted are real.