Do hogs really attack people? These do…

The feral hog is the subject of much media hype.

With numerous “reality” shows based on pursuing and eradicating them they are a go-to species for wildlife coverage.

I’ll never forget watching a program that said a Texas woman was “trapped in her home” for weeks due to hogs outside.

Really? Are they that dangerous?

The answer is no but the reality is some hogs do attack and in fact some kill humans.

 

Dr. Jack Mayer of the Savannah River National Laboratory been studying wild hogs since the 1970s and his research sheds light on “killer hogs”.

The study documented 412 wild hog ticks worldwide impacting 665 people. During this time there were four fatal hog attacks in the United States, with the most recent in Texas in 1996.

 

Of the 21 states reporting hog attacks Texas led the pack with 24 percent

with Florida at 12 percent and South Carolin 10. Interestingly when examining worldwide shark fatalities hogs actually beat them out in deaths some years-including 2013.

In his study, hogs that attack are described as solitary (82 percent), large (87 percent) and male (81 percent) and most attacks occurred when there was no hunting involved.

Click here to read about the hog that broke into a man’s house and attacked him and much more.