The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1906-03-03
WILD PIGS.
BROUGHT TO CORBIN PARK
FROM THE BLACK FOREST.
Have Increased Nightly in Spite of
Fact That Many Have Been Shot
Observing the Animals
in Action.

49, 4@tA0A
The original thirteen little wild pigs
which were brought from the Black
Forest, Germany, and liberated In Cor.
bin Park. some Is years ago, have
done their best to prove that their
number was not an unlucky one. They
have increased until their name Is L.
gion, in spite of the fact that, from
first to last. hundreds Of wild boar
have been shot.
To see the animals in action at this
season, perhaps there is no better
place to visit than a clump of beech
trees, and no better time than imme-
diately after shutdown. Then the boar
begin to nov about in search of food.
and If there are beech nuts to be had.
they will surely have them. One eve
ming last October, | was coming down
a mountain trail shortly after sunset.
On both sides there were sprucas, but
on n side, to my left, the ever
green's extended but a short distance,
giving way to deciduous trees, among
which were many beeches. Suddenly
I heard a loud rustling-unmistakably
the sound of animals running over dry
leaves, and / thought that l must have
disturbed a herd of wild boar, and
that they were beating a hasty retreat
through the woods. quickly | pushed
my way through the fringe Of spruces,
in order to get a glimpse of them be-
fore they had quite disappeared, but -
my surprise l saw the wild pigs com
Ing toward me; they were just enter
ing this part of the woods, not running
away from 1t, as | had supposed. !
drew back close to the spruces, to soc
what would happen. At once, all the
boar, big and little. began an active
search for beechnuts. roofing under
the fallen leaves with their shouts,
many of them granting incessantly, as
though this were quite necessary to
success. There may have been a doz-
en- altogether, but l soon found myself
giving special attention to four-a
large SOW and her three pigs. These
were all coming straight In my direc.
ton, but the wind was blowing from
them TO me, and they were far too
busy to raise their heads to see me. On
they came, keeping pretty close to-
gether, but the little fellows usually
in advance of their mother.
l waited until they came within ten
yards, and then 1 raised one hand
and took firm hold of the spruce
branch; old sows have a rather nasty
habit Of charging If they think their
young mes are in danger, and | wish |
ed to be prepared to climb in case
the big mother pig before me should
ing for the blood of her infants. But
nothing happened, except that the
quartet continued to advance, hard at
work eating beechnuts and quite un-
aware of my presence. Every o and
the mother would grunt, and
grunting back at her. So busy were
they, that one little fellow came up |
ten feet Of me before he ever
suspected that there was snyth' ng
wrong. Then he raised his head, and
saw me standing there. At any rate,
he saw something which did not look
quite right, and for several seconds he
Just stared and stared, presumably
.rying to make up his mind whether
what he saw was dangerous or not.
Had / moved a musc,e, he would have
'un for his dear life, but I did not
even wink, and at last he dropped his
to the ground and continued his
search for beechnuts, apparently st
SIZED that, whatever | was, | belonged
light there. In the meantime, his
had continued to advance,
md in less than a minute one Of them
vas actually within six feet of where !
TODD. Then, whether he smelled me
II not l cannot tell, but he raised his
title snout and looked squarely at ma
IS his brother had done. Acain
,ept perfectly still, but after watching
ne for ten seconds, this piglet was
ure there was something wrong and
off several yards in a semicircle.
hen he stopped, and stood like a
tatuette, with his absurd Little tai
traight in the air. But he no longer
ooked at me. On the contrary, his
Iose was pointed in que a different
ERECTION; he seemed to be waiting for
is nose and ears to convince him that
is suspicious were well founded. At
his moment, the old SOW raised her
cad and saw him standing there.
now she had not seen ne. and don't
elieve she had scented me, either,
ut what she did see apparently con-
her that things were not as
hey should be. She waited for no de-.
ails, but with a low, rolling grunt she
lrned and ran. followed by her pigs.
TIT foy Ta%