Читать книгу Trekking in the Apennines. The Grande Escursione Appenninica онлайн

15 страница из 33

Inquisitive goats and horses check out walkers on the GEA

Then there is the wild boar, a great nuisance in view of the inordinate damage it wreaks, rooting around in cultivated fields and woodland. Scratchings, hoofprints and ripped-up undergrowth along with curious mudslides are commonly encountered signs of its presence, though the closest most walkers will get to one is stewed on a restaurant plate at dinnertime as, despite their reputation for fierceness, they are notoriously reticent. The thriving modern-day population is the offspring of prolific Eastern European species introduced to supplement the native population for the purposes of hunting, a collective sport practised with unflagging enthusiasm since Roman times. In adherence to a strict calendar – usually in the November–January period – vociferous armed groups tramp hillsides and woods with yapping dogs sniffing out the elusive creatures.

In woodland the eccentric crested porcupine is not uncommon, but incredibly timid (not to mention nocturnal). Its calling cards are striking black-and-cream quills found on many a pathway, often denoting a struggle with an optimistic predator. The ancient Romans, ever the epicures, brought it over from Africa for its tasty flesh, a great delicacy at banquets (along with dormouse).