News English news in Italy

Wild boar in Italy filmed playing football

By: Wanted in Rome

Date:

06 Dec, 2021

Wild boar once again make the news in Italy.

After a wild boar family outing in Roman traffic made headlines around the world in September, the hogs are back in the spotlight again.

There is nothing new about wild boar strutting around cities in Italy, particularly Rome where they have become a regular sight in some northern suburbs.

They have integrated rapidly into city life, adapting to urban environments with ease and presenting ever greater difficulty for authorities.

Cinghiali: Wild boar invade Rome streets

However until now it was not widely known that the animals could play football.

A video surfaced over the weekend of an adult wild boar, or cinghiale, playing with a ball along a dried-up river bed in Genoa, pushing the ball along skilfully with its snout.

The incident, reported by Italian news agency ANSA, has led to inevitable jokes on social media, including unkind comparisons to the Genoa and Sampdoria football teams.

Rome wild boar join kids outside school

Earlier this year an adult wild boar was filmed during a football 'training session' in a playground in the same area.

It is not known if it was the same animal or whether passion for the sport is spreading among the cinghiali of Genoa.

Genova, un cinghiale gioca con pallone nel greto di un torrente. Nel Bisagno, altri ne osservano l'esibizione #ANSA https://t.co/hswIQv9Kyc pic.twitter.com/8uJTvVeGO0
— Agenzia ANSA (@Agenzia_Ansa) December 5, 2021