The original range of wild boar was Eurasia and North Africa - from Ireland to Japan and southern Scandinavia to Egypt. Wild boar are the ancestors of the domestic pig, and the two species can be interbred. The terms standard and full-blood are applied to wild boar in Canada. Standards have some domestic pig in their background, while fullbloods are considered to be pure wild boar.

Crosses of the two produce hybrid animals. Fullbloods can be more aggresive than hybrids or standard wild boar, particularly if they aren't raised in close contact with people.

Physically, wild boar look very different from domestic pigs. They have smaller ears and much longer snouts; their tails are straight and tufted at the tip. Hair coloring is brown to black. Long bristles run from the head along the centre line of the back, and can be raised two to three inches from the body when wild boar are excited or agitated.

With their hind legs shorter than front legs, wild boar have an "uphill" appearance. Mature wild boar measure up to 40 inches at the shoulder. Males can weigh up to 450 pounds and females up to 370 pounds. Wild boar are market-ready at 180 to 200 pounds. Genetics and nutrition play a significant role in the ability of individual wild boar to reach market weight between 14 and 18 months.

Females can produce three litters per year under intense management and ideal conditions. However, two litters are more the norm. Gestation is 114 days. Litters average four to five young, although individual mature sows can produce as many as ten boarlets. Under adverse environmental conditions, the number of boarlets produced by a herd can average as few as one or two per sow. Young wild boar are born with Yellowish-brown coats with distinct dark stripes along the back providing camouflage coloring.