The boar is able to survive in different environments as long as there is water, food and a covering of vegetation. It can be found, therefore, from the plains right up to the edge of the timberline in the mountains.
It is the forefather of the domestic pig and is 100-160 cm long, with a height at the withers of 60-100 cm. Its weight varies from 80-150 kg for males and 60-120 kg for females. The male and female are similar, but the male is bigger, with canine teeth which grow continually: the upper-"honers", and the lower-"defence".
Despite being omnivorous, vegetation, such as acorns, chestnuts, fruit and berries, make up about 80-90% of its diet. The animal content is made up of annelid worms, larvae, arthropods, tiny mammals and carrion. There are no signs to suggest that the animal is native to the park.
It began to appear in the 1980's, with the first sightings on the Piedmont side of the park. The species is presently found mostly in Soana Valley, where there is a dense population, and in Orco Valley. There are less frequent sightings in the Val d'Aosta valleys, in the areas of non-conifers in the lower Valle di Rhemes and Savara.