The Formosan wild boar’s distinctive nostril stripe is clearly seen in this photograph.

The China Post is reporting on January 12, 2007, that Formosan wild boar nests have been sighted in northern Taiwan, during the past two months. The Taiwan Forestry Research Institute (TFRI) reported yesterday that these incidents marked the “first sightings” in 15 years. (The news release is unclear if they are talking about just nest sightings or the actual animals also being seen.

The sightings near the Fu-Shan Research Station in Yilan County, northeastern Taiwan, marked the first time for such events by TFRI officials since the TFRI closed the research station in 1991 to allow the environment to regenerate, the officials said.

The Formosan wild boar (Sus scrofa taivanus) has a nose and lips which project forward, longer than a pig. They look brown-striped or spotted when young, becoming iron gray after maturity. They have a large head, small ears, a long snout flanked by a white stripe along each side, and two sharp and narrow tusks growing from the tip of their snout. The tusks on males are more protruding than on females.

The Formosan wild boar is omnivorous and migratory, moving to lower elevation areas when winter comes. As they do not have sweat glands, the boars will often roll themselves in muddy wetlands near mountain streams to keep cool and get rid of parasites (mostly worms).

In general, research in the last two years indicated a population that has not increased, but the TFRI’s announcement caused some positive sense that the species is not in decline.