In one of the gorges of the Moscow district of the Chui region, Azamat spotted a herd of wild pigs. Almost twenty individuals, including piglets, were feeding on the slope, carefully digging through the snow in search of roots and larvae. When Azamat tried to get closer to them on horseback, he suddenly noticed a huge boar attentively watching him from behind a fir tree. This moment completely extinguished his desire to approach the herd.
“Wild boars in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan are quite a common sight. In winter, they actively dig through the snow on mountain slopes in search of food. These animals gather in large groups, which can consist of several dozen individuals of different ages. This season, rangers discovered a group of 57 boars and pigs in the Chon-Kayindy gorge, located in the Jayil district,” noted ecologist Alexander Sosnovsky.
Gathering in a herd allows them to move more easily through the snow. Weak young individuals often rely on the experience of older boars for protection. Adult individuals usually keep apart but ensure the safety of the group from predators such as wolves and lynxes. In winter, the herd creates a communal resting place — a "gaino," collecting dry leaves, grass, and branches into a pile. They dig a small pit underneath, where the pigs take shelter. In severe frosts, the outer pigs can freeze and sometimes move inside, but generally, the young pigs remain in the center, where they are protected by the warmth of the adults,” added the specialist.
