There’s a sizeable wild pig population on the Big Island and they can be both problematic and dangerous. A while back, a local woman was attacked by a boar in her garden. She got seriously gored as well as having her leg broken.
This one was puttering around the yard in the early morning, snacking on fallen mangoes. It took him a while to notice me, but when he did, he took off at speed.
The numbers around here have dropped since hunters began making regular visits and when I do hear the pigs moving about, they’re being a good deal more cautious than they used to be.
I’ve read about the wild pig problems on Big Island, my interest being human/wildlife conflict on the urban edge. It was a marvellous article on how cunning they are and involved the tagging of a pig dubbed “Super Babe” who even though had a VHF collar managed to evade the parks officials. I visited your magnificent island, so dynamic with it’s active volcano and lush green tropical vegetation. I’m enjoying a ‘virtual’ revisit through your wonderful pics and descriptive posts.
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Thanks for the comment. They’re no doubt very smart. Many nights, they used to come through the hedge behind the bedroom, making a lot of noise and churning up the ground. I put up a bamboo fence, about a foot high, and they quickly rerouted so we didn’t disturb each other.
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And here I thought deer in the yard were a problem.
Are wild boar edible?
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You better believe it! The meat is what the hunters are after. I can’t vouch for how healthy the wild pigs are, but I suppose any issues are taken care of in the preparation of the meat and/or cooking. It’s not as if people here are dropping like flies from food poisoning.
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