4 ms·

I thought this was already well known for at least a couple hundred years according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_lions_in_Europe https://en.wikip

by ratww 5y ago

I thought this was already well known for at least a couple hundred years according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_lions_in_Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_lions_in_Europe . There's also lots of lions in heraldic designs. > And I must admit, I clicked this article hoping to discover there were lions wandering around the south of France today. After recently having my first encounter with a wild pig in Berlin, I was also expecting having to run from lions.

somedude895 5y ago
> After recently having my first encounter with a wild pig in Berlin, I was also expecting having to run from lions. A girlfriend from Berlin once told me a story of how she had to hold out on top of a car for hours after being ambushed by hogs while coming home from a party in the early morning. Berlin is a funny place.
- alternatetwo 5y ago
  I had to take a detour once because an entire group of them was blocking the street. Close to there, I once at night encountered the same group on the boardwalk, switched sides, and had to warn a couple that I saw a few meters ahead. Last year ago I saw and heard the entire group go along our street at 5am or so ... (from the safety of my room). The lady who delivers newspapers around that time told me she sees them often after I warned her, and didn't seem to be particularly concerned. I think they're very much used to humans and even with young ones not overly aggressive, unless you really push/surprise them, so she must have been unlucky.
sofixa 5y ago
> After recently having my first encounter with a wild pig in Berlin, I was also expecting having to run from lions. And how was it? I've heard lots of stories of funny encounters with wild pigs in Corsica, but sadly never crossed one when visiting.
- Cd00d 5y ago
  I encountered a lot of free roaming (possibly wild??) burros in Corsica, but did not see any pigs during a few week stay in summer 2008 or 09.
- hutzlibu 5y ago
  But you are aware, that even a group of ordinary wild pigs can kill you and the corsican breed is especially famous for it? If you are, thats cool, because in general I had many close encounters with boars at dawn or night in the forest and nothing ever happened. They are interesting and smart animals and usually respect you, when you respect them and stay calm. I even was quite close to mothers with young ones and the most that happened was, they snorted angrily at me to go away.
- inglor_cz 5y ago
  Central Europe has a lot of wild pigs and I encountered them several times right in the streets of villages or small cities adjacent to bigger forests - but always around midnight or later. They are smart and try to avoid humans, and they have obviously determined that the small hours are the optimal time to go scouting for some food with no one around.
- ratww 5y ago
  Oh it was quite uneventful, the pig seemed a bit scared so I just went in another direction and we were both relieved. I hope I never find a pig mom, though. An important aspect is that you can’t take your clothes off near them: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/28/hey-thats-mine-naked-mans-wild-boar-chase-immortalised-in-plastic https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/28/hey-thats-mine...
  - alternatetwo 5y ago
    I know exactly what picture that is without even having to click that link! I love that he was a great sport about it.
lucozade 5y ago
> There's also lots of lions in heraldic designs That's true but there are also quite a lot of unicorns and griffins so I'm not sure that that's a clinching argument.
- Taywee 5y ago
  Check out medieval depictions of rhinos, giraffes, and elephants. The fact that heraldic lions look anything like actual lions rather than deformed dogs and sheep convinces me that they were somewhat nearby.

by ratww 5y ago

somedude895 5y ago

> After recently having my first encounter with a wild pig in Berlin, I was also expecting having to run from lions. A girlfriend from Berlin once told me a story of how she had to hold out on top of a car for hours after being ambushed by hogs while coming home from a party in the early morning. Berlin is a funny place.

alternatetwo 5y ago
I had to take a detour once because an entire group of them was blocking the street. Close to there, I once at night encountered the same group on the boardwalk, switched sides, and had to warn a couple that I saw a few meters ahead. Last year ago I saw and heard the entire group go along our street at 5am or so ... (from the safety of my room). The lady who delivers newspapers around that time told me she sees them often after I warned her, and didn't seem to be particularly concerned. I think they're very much used to humans and even with young ones not overly aggressive, unless you really push/surprise them, so she must have been unlucky.

sofixa 5y ago

> After recently having my first encounter with a wild pig in Berlin, I was also expecting having to run from lions. And how was it? I've heard lots of stories of funny encounters with wild pigs in Corsica, but sadly never crossed one when visiting.

Cd00d 5y ago
I encountered a lot of free roaming (possibly wild??) burros in Corsica, but did not see any pigs during a few week stay in summer 2008 or 09.
hutzlibu 5y ago
But you are aware, that even a group of ordinary wild pigs can kill you and the corsican breed is especially famous for it? If you are, thats cool, because in general I had many close encounters with boars at dawn or night in the forest and nothing ever happened. They are interesting and smart animals and usually respect you, when you respect them and stay calm. I even was quite close to mothers with young ones and the most that happened was, they snorted angrily at me to go away.
inglor_cz 5y ago
Central Europe has a lot of wild pigs and I encountered them several times right in the streets of villages or small cities adjacent to bigger forests - but always around midnight or later. They are smart and try to avoid humans, and they have obviously determined that the small hours are the optimal time to go scouting for some food with no one around.
ratww 5y ago
Oh it was quite uneventful, the pig seemed a bit scared so I just went in another direction and we were both relieved. I hope I never find a pig mom, though. An important aspect is that you can’t take your clothes off near them: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/28/hey-thats-mine-naked-mans-wild-boar-chase-immortalised-in-plastic https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/28/hey-thats-mine...
- alternatetwo 5y ago
  I know exactly what picture that is without even having to click that link! I love that he was a great sport about it.

lucozade 5y ago

> There's also lots of lions in heraldic designs That's true but there are also quite a lot of unicorns and griffins so I'm not sure that that's a clinching argument.

Taywee 5y ago
Check out medieval depictions of rhinos, giraffes, and elephants. The fact that heraldic lions look anything like actual lions rather than deformed dogs and sheep convinces me that they were somewhat nearby.