Wild boar killings are not ‘pig genocide,’ San Jose councilman says
A San Jose city councilman says that even though the city has approved the killing of wild boars for a three-month period, it is not the same thing as “pig genocide.”
State-permitted shooting of the hoofed beasts was approved this week by the San Jose City Council after officials determined the animals were found to be the culprits behind chewed up lawns and golf course fairways.
There also was concern about what would happen if a pig-vs.-human encounter got out of hand.
One councilman, Johnny Khamis, said he didn’t want to see the first pig-related human “casualty” in the city, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
“It’s not my intention to go out and commit a pig genocide,” Khamis said. “I’m only here to make sure the public is not harmed by this very bold group of animals.”
The measure will be in effect for three months before officials discuss a longer-term solution.
Anyone who wants to shoot a pig within city limits must first obtain a depredation permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. A pig must be trapped before it can be shot.
It’s apparently not fully understood how dozens of the 200-pound boars came into the area around the upscale Almaden Valley in South San Jose this fall, the Mercury News reported. But since their arrival, homeowners and businesses have reported thousands of dollars in damage.
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