A French woman was set upon by a herd of wild pigs on Monday, only escaping from them by clambering up a tree, from which she was later plucked by a rescue helicopter.

The woman was walking near the town of Bagnères-de-Luchon in the southwest of the country, The Telegraph reports, when she was startled by the pack of snuffling Gallic boars.

Fearing for her life, she scrambled up a tree, only to fall through its branches and become wedged in between them when she later tried to descend. Luckily she had a GPS-equipped mobile phone with which she called a rescue service, who decided the safest course of action was to send a helicopter to winch her from her woody haven.

The attack will inevitably spark fears of some kind of pre-festive period rebellion by beasts that feature prominently in Christmas celebrations – whether as main characters in songs or Christmas cards, or simply as main courses.

The rampage by the bristly wild pigs – perfect as an ingredient in stuffing or chipolatas – comes just days after a Scottish woman revealed she was stalked and attacked by a crazed reindeer while walking in the Highlands. Reindeer are of course Santa's main source of horsepower, but also a good meat source and a traditional Christmas dish in Finland.

On Tuesday it emerged that a dog in Oregon was attacked by a three-strong gang of deer – a low-fat if gamey alternative to beef or other traditional red meats – while patrolling its owner's backyard. According to the AP, the stag and two does beat the dog with their hooves, while the male also attempted to gore it with its antlers.

We will bring you further reports of any attacks by robins, turkeys, swans or Stilton cheeses as they come in. ®