Webcam on boars in Estonia draws thousands

Tallinn — A webcam set up in an Estonian forest has proven to be an unexpected hit among Internet surfers who want to catch a glimpse of wild boars feeding and frolicking in the snow.

"Such massive interest has been a really big surprise for us,” said Gennadi Skromnov, the man behind "Metsakaamera" or "Boar TV," on Wednesday. “It shows that people feel a need to have a connection with nature."

The webcam was set up in December by a hunting association in the heavily-forested Baltic state, which is one of the most Internet-wired countries in the world.

The site (www.looduskalender.ee/en/node/2165) is bringing in around 75,000 clicks a day, with almost half the visitors based abroad, notably in the Czech Republic, Germany and in Nordic nations.

For the boars, the trade-off for appearing on camera is a regular feed of barley, wheat, apples and acorns, served up every evening to attract them, said Mait Siimson of the Tahtvere hunters’ association.

"Seventeen wild boars usually gather for dinner around 5:30 to 6:00 pm (1530-1600 GMT), when it’s already dark, and stay for around an hour," Siimson said. “The site is probably so popular because it’s much more interesting to follow wild boars than birds or smaller animals," he added.

The webcam boars are spared the unwelcome attentions of the association, as the feeding site is not in an area where its members hunt.

AFP/Expatica