Black Bear Vs. Feral Hog (Video)

Clean Feeders-Stop Disease Spread
March 17, 2021
Rehabbed Eagle Gets Its Wings
March 25, 2021

A black bear has been captured on video killing a feral hog-close to its own size.

The amazing clip filmed by Phillip Talbot of Old Skull Outdoors shows the boldness of black bears rarely observed by people. Subscribe to his Youtube channel below.

“As an avid hunter, it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever witnessed,” Talbot said.

Listen to this interview with a man attacked by a hog in Texas March 13, 2021!

The USDA’s feralhogs.extension.org information site lists numerous potential hog predators. Their take on bear predation was interesting.

The black bear is known to prey on feral hogs of all ages; however, the impact of predation by this bear on feral hog populations is not known.  Some researchers have speculated that black bears probably kill few if any feral hogs, especially given that an adult hog would represent a formidable adversary for a black bear.  In fact, in the 1920s a feral boar in the Okefenokee Swamp was reported to have killed a black bear in a fight between the two animals.  Similar accounts of feral boars killing bears during fights in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas were reported in the 1880s.

According to USDA officials, predation has little impact on most pig populations, although researchers have documented predation by alligators, black bears, and mountain lions (Sweeney et al. 2003). Indeed, in some specific situations, wild pigs can represent a significant prey item, as Maehr et al. (1990) documented in Florida panthers.

Hunting is the key component of population control in most areas but even that has limited success.

In most areas and populations, the most significant cause of mortality in wild pigs is hunting. However, because of their prolificacy, wild pig populations in good habitats can endure extremely high rates of hunting harvest (Barrett and Pine 1980), and in most cases hunting alone cannot control populations. Bieber and Ruf (2005) estimated that, in good habitat conditions, adult survival would have to be reduced to <10% to counter population growth

In this case, the bear did its part but had to work hard and risk its life to do so.

To read more about black bear predation including on elk click here.

Chester Moore

Loading

2 Comments

  1. TommyK says:

    I’ve watched the video several times and it is difficult to draw a conclusion if the pig had been hit by a car. If this pig wasn’t hit by a car, and had an impairment with a limp, etc; and obviously no decomposition was present to attract the bear; then this is odd to say the least. Mr. Talbot would undoubtedly be the source to know if the hog had a leg injury. The pig’s hind quarters appeared OK; and one part of the video showed that its front legs/hooves were OK as well.

    • TommyK says:

      Allow me to clarify my above comment: “If the pig had no leg injury and obviously no decomposition was present to attract the bear”, etc: On another note: the NPS has been shooting hogs for decades, and willfully allowing bears scavenge the carcass remains of hogs. This program has obviously added to the carnivorous and predatory behaviors/instincts that bears already possess. If the pig was impaired and vocally squealing; then the bear could have easily pinpointed the pig – conditioned to an easy meal. If hogs in the vicinity were using a particular trail and crossing the road, then a conditioned bear that has scavenged hog remains could have been roaming the same trail and came across the pig in the ditch right of way and made a meal of it? Beyond all the speculation, this video played right into the Park Service’s PR agenda which is understandable. Though they are correct to educate the public about the dangers with bears; they surely are not going to give any accountability to their program of conditioning bears to scavenge hog remains. Of course, they will justify themselves whether their management actions are contributing to predatory behavior or not.