Unwanted behaviours such as savaging are sometimes attributed to the process of domestication. Videotaping of farmed wild boar sows during farrowing revealed that 33 per cent were aggressive towards their piglets. Aggression varied with genetic line and was associated with long farrowings involving numerous posture changes. Savaging does not appear to be caused by domestication. Factors associated with piglet-directed aggression in wild boar may also be implicated in savaging in domestic sows.