Wild boar (Sus scrofa)
This stamp honors the Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), undisputed lord of the Tunisian forests and maquis. The wild boar, locally called "Allouch el-ghaba" (lamb of the forest) in certain regions or more simply "Hallouf el-wahsh", is extremely present in Tunisia, particularly in the North-West (Tabarka, Aïn Draham, Béja) and in Cap Bon. Unlike other endangered species, the wild boar is booming thanks to its great capacity for adaptation and the absence of large natural predators such as the Atlas lion, which has long since disappeared.
A social animal living in “companies”, it plays a crucial ecological role by turning over the soil with its digging to look for roots and insects, which promotes aeration of the earth and the germination of certain plants. However, this abundance also makes it a challenge for Tunisian farmers, as it does not hesitate to venture into cereal fields or orchards. On a social level, the wild boar occupies a unique place: although its religious status prohibits its consumption for the majority of the population, it is the pillar of very active hunting tourism, attracting hunters from all over the world and thus contributing to the local economy of mountainous regions. Its management today is a balancing issue between the protection of forest biodiversity and the preservation of agricultural crops.
A social animal living in “companies”, it plays a crucial ecological role by turning over the soil with its digging to look for roots and insects, which promotes aeration of the earth and the germination of certain plants. However, this abundance also makes it a challenge for Tunisian farmers, as it does not hesitate to venture into cereal fields or orchards. On a social level, the wild boar occupies a unique place: although its religious status prohibits its consumption for the majority of the population, it is the pillar of very active hunting tourism, attracting hunters from all over the world and thus contributing to the local economy of mountainous regions. Its management today is a balancing issue between the protection of forest biodiversity and the preservation of agricultural crops.