Officials sound alarm over dangerous animals wreaking havoc in residential neighborhoods: 'Encounters can be pretty scary'

Wild boars are invading the San Francisco Bay area, according to ABC 7.

What's happening?

Multiple instances of boar sightings in South Bay and East Bay are prompting government officials to hire removal agencies. They've been damaging yards, parkland, water districts, and hiking trails.   

"For people who are hiking on our preserve- those encounters can be pretty scary. They will occasionally harm people and exhibit aggressive behavior," said Aaron Hébert, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Natural Resources manager, per ABC 7. "They tend to eat food by plowing up dirt and kinda digging it up like a rototiller in your front yard." 

Why are wild boars important?

Wild boars can be safely considered one of the most destructive invasive species in North America. Thanks to their intense aggressiveness, prolific breeding, and indiscriminate diet, these animals are becoming a growing scourge to ecosystems. 

Many jurisdictions have declared an open hunting season on the animals in order to quash population growth, and some chefs even capitalize on it, but this chase tends to just push boar populations further afield. 

Invasive species are typically introduced into new environments through human activities. Once free of the checks and balances that it evolved with, an invasive species in a new area can often outcompete other species for vital resources like food, water, and habitat. Once a monopoly is secured, native species are pushed out, leading to a decline in biodiversity and the important ecosystem services they support. 

Worse still, invasive species can also become vectors for foreign diseases that native species have little or no protection against. This is especially true of boars. 

What's being done about invasive boars?

Wildlife officials are working hard to contain the threat. 
"Like San Francisco Water, East Bay MUD, Contra Costa Water and California State Parks where we are developing a regional approach to feral pig management to get a better handle on their population, where they are moving," said Doug Bell, program manager with East Bay Regional Parks District, per ABC 7.

Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely 👍 Depends on the animal 🤔 No way 👎 Just let people do it for free 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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