When Alex Williamson went down to the woods at the weekend he was in for a very big surprise.
So big, in fact, that he took off in a rush, leaving behind all his camping gear when he believed a wild boar was hot on his tail.
Alex returned to the scene on Friday to gather his belongings. He was too scared to go back any sooner.
The 47-year-old, a mature student studying business at the University of the Highlands and Islands in Perth, said the “terrifying” incident started about 3am on Monday.
“I was wild camping in woodland near Methven with my nephew, James Mackay, when we were woken in the middle of the night with a very loud screeching and screaming noise and the sound of an animal charging towards our tent.
“It was a horrible noise right outside our tent and we were terrified. At first I didn’t know what it was, but it was really scary.”
Alex said they peeped outside the tent and saw the outline of an animal “snuffling” around.
He added: “It was then I realised that what I was seeing was probably a wild boar. I remembered reading that wild boar had recently escaped from a farm in Perthshire and that a warning had gone out letting people know they were on the loose.”
Alex said that when he realised it could be a wild boar he was even more frightened.
He added: “These things are pretty big and very dangerous. They could kill a man and we were really scared.”
He and James, 25, decided to sit it out in the tent until they heard the creature move off and then make a run for it.
Alex added: “We heard it moving towards the burn and then we scarpered.
“We didn’t stop to gather of any of our belongings we were genuinely scared for our safety.
“Wild boars can be extremely aggressive and we certainly didn’t want to come face-to-face with it.”
Alex said the pair made their way into Perth around nine miles away where they contacted the local authority.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokeswoman confirmed boar had previously been on the loose in rural Perthshire, but she had no knowledge of any being in the Methven area.
She added: “Perth and Kinross Council has received no further complaints about boar escaping, although it is aware that animals were loose in the immediate area from previous escapes.
“The council will take appropriate action if further complaints about the boar are received.”