MUGLA, Turkey
Bodrum, on Turkey's Aegean coast, is best known as a destination for tourists seeking sun, sea, sand and relaxation.
But on Wednesday the city was visited by a different kind of tourist. A herd of wild boars, at least 15 of them, strayed into Bodrum, explored the city's streets, dug under trees and generally rooted around.
Security cameras captured images of the boars as they foraged for food around 2:30 Wednesday morning. Residents said they were shocked to see the animals feeding near their yards.
Adult wild boars can be very large animals. Boars of over 300 kilograms (660 pounds) are shot in Turkey every year. The males have sharp tusks that curve upwards and can cause serious injury.
The visitors to Bodrum, however, were reported to be young -- perhaps two years old. They were said to be about half a meter (1.5 feet) long and to weigh a mere 60 kilos (130 pounds).
The animals are suspected to have come from one of the nearby forests and wandered for a while among houses rather than among the trees. They attacked no one.
Attacks on humans by wild boars are occasionally reported in rural areas of Turkey, according to the U.S.-based National Center for Biotechnology Information. While fatalities are rare, people can suffer significant injuries. The attacks generally occur in forested areas, but as the boars’ habitat shrinks, interaction between humans and wild boars is increasing.
Wild boars can sometimes be seen deep in the mountains of Bodrum; however, they stray into city six or so times a year, residents say. Visitors of the two-legged kind are expected to flood the city next month, when the tourism season officially begins.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
