Re-bonding Boar Guinea Pigs

Question
Dear Pat, we have had 2 himalayan boars from a sanctuary since April. Although Monty was always the boss they got on Ok (they are maybe 18 months old). A couple of months ago they fell out, maybe due to being taken to our caravan on holiday for a few hours. If put together they teeth chatter, get agitated and sometimes go for each other. Therfore we are keeping them apart. Is there any way that we can re-bond the 2 boars?
Thanks

Answer
Unfortunately there is no way to re-bond these two boys. This is a common request and the answer always comes out the same. These are herding animals, and like all herding animals there is one dominant male who holds the breeding rights.

As baby boys are born into a herd they're allowed to stay until they begin to reach their sexual maturity at which time they start to challenge the alpha male. A fight will begin, sometimes to the death, as the alpha fights to retain his rights as number one. If he wins the fight the challenger is banished forever from the herd. If No 1 loses he is chased away and left to die alone. This is how nature works and has since the beginning of time.

This is a genetically hard wired rule for all herding animals. Horses are the first ones we think of because we see how two stallions cannot live in one herd. Cattle, Hippos, Lions, Zebras, Gorillas, Chimpanzeez and even chickens live by this rule. They can't help it, it's built in.

Two boars will live happily together sometimes for a couple of years. Then one day the hormones begin to dictate their instincts and they start to fight. The only exception is if one of the boars is past breeding age and docile enough to not represent a challenge to the younger boar. I have breeder friends who've had boars neutured and it still did not stop this behavior. If neutered young that's different, but once they've discovered their purpose there is no more peace in the household.

What's happening in your caviary is just that..... hormonal rage. The testosterone is flowing quickly and continuously through their veins and the reaction is uncontrollable. If you leave them together you risk severe injury and infection from bites that can and will be the end of one or both of them.

The safest thing to do is separate them from each other. They will be fine with a wire partition between them, but if left together the fighting will not stop until one or both are severely injured.