close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

Wild animals that kill more people than sharks wreak havoc on school, causing over 0,000 in damage
news

Wild animals that kill more people than sharks wreak havoc on school, causing over $150,000 in damage

A wild boar invasion has wreaked havoc on a California school, causing over $150,000 in damage.

Geyserville New Tech Academy in northern Sonoma County was attacked by animals that tore up the grass across the campus.

The pigs managed to dig holes more than six inches deep in the ground, prompting authorities to erect barricades around the rubble.

Footage from the Press Democrat shows the devastation the animals have caused, with swaths of grass completely destroyed.

So far, those responsible have eluded authorities. But Geyserville Unified School District Superintendent Deborah Bertolucci told SFGate they saw six.

Wild animals that kill more people than sharks wreak havoc on school, causing over 0,000 in damage

The pigs managed to dig holes more than six inches deep in the ground, forcing authorities to erect barricades around the rubble

Footage captured by the Press Democrat shows the devastation caused by the animals, with swaths of grass completely wiped out

Footage captured by the Press Democrat shows the devastation caused by the animals, with swaths of grass completely wiped out

According to Bertolucci, the damage on campus was caused by two adult pigs and four young pigs.

She said, “At first I thought it was my maintenance crew doing repairs on our sprinklers. Then I realized, “Oh no, it’s the pigs.” It’s crazy.

Jason Lish, facilities maintenance supervisor at the school, told the Press Democrat they hired a trapper to stop the animals.

He said, “The only positive thing about all of this is that they found the drain plug I was looking for.”

The animals have previously plagued the high school and college, destroying the soccer, baseball and softball fields last year.

Bertolucci said the damage caused “a lot of chaos for our sports programs” and that they had put up a $50,000 chain-link fence to keep the animals out.

Despite the fencing, the animals continued to tear up grass in other areas of the campus, primarily targeting the main entrance.

Bertolucci added, “The pigs just decided to attack other parts of our campus,” and scooped up a school garden where students were planting roses.

The garden was supposed to contribute to the restoration of the natural habitat and attract pollinators, but in reality it only attracted wild boars.

According to the outlet, the state’s feral hog population has exploded, with them living in 56 of California’s 58 counties.

Wild boars graze along a hiking trail in the Richland Creek Wildlife Management Area in Texas

Wild boars graze along a hiking trail in the Richland Creek Wildlife Management Area in Texas

The Golden State isn’t the only state struggling with this problem. Across the country, authorities are warning of a “wild boar bomb” due to the dramatic increase in their numbers.

Wild boars They have now been spotted in at least 35 states, destroying farmers’ crops, trashing gardens and, in some cases, even attacking people.

Craig Greene, a veteran wildlife hunter, recalls a terrifying encounter with wild boars in 2008.

He described how he hid in his own three-foot cage, knowing no one was around to rescue him, until they finally ran away and he was able to escape.

“I know when they kill you, they eat you while you scream,” he said. “I’d rather be eaten by an alligator.”

Research has shown that wild boar attacks are relatively rare, but still more common than all shark species combined.

In 1982, feral hog populations were primarily located in Florida, Texas, and parts of California

In 1982, feral hog populations were primarily located in Florida, Texas, and parts of California

But by 2023, feral hogs will have completely colonized the southern US, along with California

But by 2023, feral hogs will have completely colonized the southern US, along with California

Between 2014 and 2023, there were an average of 5.8 fatal shark attacks worldwide, compared to 19.7 attacks by wild boar, AgWeb reports.

In 2024 alone, seven people worldwide were killed in incidents involving wild boars, the magazine said, adding that the number of people killed rose steadily between 2000 and 2019, to a total of 172 deaths.

Dr. John Mayer, a scientist and manager at the Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina, told AgWeb: ‘Tigers, Indian elephants, Nile crocodiles and venomous snakes kill more people than wild pigs, but wild pigs are certainly worse than bears, wolves and all shark species combined.

“Wild boars are not the worst, but they are much more dangerous than people think,” he added, describing the gruesome “stabbing and cutting wounds” inflicted by wild boars.

In 2019, a 59-year-old caregiver in Texas was mauled to death by a pack of wild boars while outside the home of the elderly couple she cares for, and was then partially eaten.

And the potential for dangerous encounters between pigs and humans will only increase as the land animals that once had free rein continue to evolve.

Pigs are now found in all 67 Florida counties, with the most damage being done in the inland, central part of the state.

Wild boars could also spell the end for the U.S. pork industry, which supports more than 600,000 American jobs and generates $178 billion in revenue each year, according to the National Pork Producers Council.

Animals in Asia are spreading a deadly disease for pigs, African swine fever, which has killed more than a million pigs since it was first reported in northeastern China in August 2018, Reuters reported.

Experts warn that if this disease crosses the ocean to the US, it will have devastating consequences.