Wild boar (also
wild pig,
Sus scrofa) is a species of the pig genus
Sus, part of the
biological family Suidae. The species includes many
subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the
domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises.
[2] Wild boar are native across much of Northern and
Central Europe, the
Mediterranean Region (including North Africa's
Atlas Mountains) and much of
Asia as far south as
Indonesia. Populations have also been artificially introduced in some parts of the world, most notably
the Americas and
Australasia; principally for hunting. Elsewhere, populations have also become established after escapes of wild boar from captivity.