Homeowner shares video of front lawn destroyed by wild pigs
By Laura Anthony
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SAN RAMON, California (KGO) — The wild pigs are at it again, this time in San Ramon.
A homeowner there sent ABC7 News Anchor Dan Ashley video of his front lawn chewed up by the foraging animals.
“I heard a scream. I came out and I just couldn’t believe what I saw,” said homeowner Ted Hunting, who told us his wife saw it first on Sunday morning. They say it looked liked someone had rototilled the front lawn, or turned up all the soil.
“You can actually see the holes in the ground, with their tusks, where they dug up the grass,” said Hunting.
Wild boars or pigs had descended on Hunting’s yard overnight, likely coming down from the nearby hills.
It’s a phenomenon that’s played itself out in year’s past, in Moraga and San Ramon, where the wild animals interface with the domestic yard in a way that can leave serious damage.
“Their food resources will start to dry up,” explained Ken Paglia, Public Information Officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “So, they start to search for food and water, and inevitably they end up in people’s yards and gardens.”
All the homeowner can do is try to head off the next attack by putting fencing or netting around the property, or by removing the grass or garden entirely.
Some people even hire a licensed trapper or try to hunt the animals, but that requires a depredation permit through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “If a wild pig or group of pigs destroys your property, you can reach out to us on our website and one of our staff will reach out to you to discuss options,” said Paglia.
Ted Hunting has put down green netting, trying to keep the wild boars away and he’ll do one more thing. That is cut back on watering his lawn.
“Absolutely,” said Hunting. “We’re cutting back on the watering. This was a good wakeup call.”
It’s a good move, not just because of the drought, but also because there’s nothing these animals like more than a moist green lawn.
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