Stuck like a pig

There was an interesting story making the rounds of the news shows this week in France. I wonder if it made it to the US. There's been a rise in the population of sangliers (wild boar) in France in recent years. A few days ago, an errant adult of 60 kilos (132 lbs.) found its way into a shopping mall and terrorized shoppers in the center's big grocery store before making its way into a hair salon and taking a bath in one of the shampoo sinks. People with iPhones and digital cameras recorded the shenanigans to the delight of the newscasters.

I don't have any photos of wild boar, so you'll have to make do with these dried thistles.

The authorities were able to call in a vet to tranquilize the animal and safely remove it from the premises, but the hair salon was trashed. What a pig! The news people said the animal would likely be euthanized.

Wild boar are famous in France for their ability not to be seen. How this one made it into a huge suburban shopping center in the middle of the day is very strange. I've only seen boar in the wild once, and that was while driving through a forest near where we live at about three in the morning. A mother and several little piglets crossed the road in front of us that night.

Boar are prized by hunters and chefs. The meat is good and is often made into pâtés and terrines.