Camera captures feeding habit of unlikely forest hero in Thailand. Why it matters
Camera traps set up in the forests of western Thailand captured the critical importance of an unlikely animal hero — the wild boar.
The footage, shared May 2 on Facebook by Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, shows two wild boars feeding on both a large animal carcass and plants.
Experts said wild boars help maintain a healthy balanced ecosystem by cycling nutrients through behaviors like scavenging and foraging, according to the Facebook post.
Research shows boars are also highly intelligent, experts said, particularly when it comes to timing their scavenging to avoid detection by tigers.
While wild boars are a primary prey for tigers in Thailand, they reproduce at a fast rate, providing balance in the food chain, according to wildlife officials.
Being omnivores, wild boars will also root around and dig for plants to eat.
When they forage, they help disperse seeds and break up surface soil, which then increases oxygenation and water absorption at deeper levels beneath the forest floor, wildlife experts said.
The boars were filmed at Khao Nang Ram Wildlife Research Station, in Thailand’s Uthai Thani Province — about a 150-mile drive northwest from Bangkok.
Translate GPT was used to translate the Facebook post by Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Camera captures feeding habit of unlikely forest hero in Thailand. Why it matters."
