Turns out that there was a wild pig found at Ching Wah St, North Point last night. It was caught by the guys from AFCD at about 3am, seven hours after it was found near the church on that street.

I have encountered wild pigs several times in different parts of Hong Kong at night and day and every time they have fled (and most times I have been by myself, so maybe it is my appearance scaring them away). Most recently, I found myself between a mom and two youngsters on Tai Mo Shan. She went one way and I just waited until the little ones crossed in front of me so they could join her. I have heard that they can be aggressive, but in my experience they are fairly afraid of humans and certainly they must be afraid of medium to large-sized dogs. Pigs are intelligent animals and these that have lived with humans for a long time know that we and dogs mean them harm; most will not hang around looking for trouble.

From recent reports, it seems that there are a few on Lamma. There are certainly more in other parts of Hong Kong and, despite this, there are rarely issues between humans and wild pigs here. Just enjoy the scenery, be reasonable if you see one, and don't worry about it.

Yogesh: What do the AFCD do with them once caught? Good advise Nancy.

Well, they killed the one they caught in North Point the other day. After chasing the piglet around for several hours, it hurt itself and they used that as reason to put it down. The tranqulizer dart took half an hour to be effective.

I wonder if they'd ever release one after finally catching it, even if it's unhurt.

I might take up Guy's offer to accompany him when taking more boar pictures, once it's a bit less slippery up in the forest. I don't want to knock myself in the forehead once again with my heavy camera while scurrying through a forest...

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From my discussions with AFCD, they usually kill them. AFCD does not go after the average pig in the forest or near the villages unless they become aggressive or are spending too much time in residential areas and pose a threat to people. If this is the case, then they are shot. I was pleasantly surprised to find out recently that this pig is native and not the descendant of a European pig gone feral (like some of us). For that reason, we would be wise not to raise an issue unless it truly becomes an issue. It is nice to have a largish mammal roaming around on Lamma.

L-G and Guy, I would be happy to tag along and document the antics as well. By the way Guy, great photos!

Thanks Nancy.

Seems the pigs are back...............

My dogs have been barking like crazy first thing in the morning & in the evening... one of them goes out "tracking" and can be heard barking like mad about 50 or so yards from the house.
Also my neighbour had their sweet potato plot trashed last night.
I haven't been to check them out.... will do so over the next couple of days.

And some good news..... L-G is finally coming up to the house this weekend to get his own photo record of the Lamma-boar...... Nancy........,perhaps if we can get a time out of him, you might like to "tag along" and document our "antics".

Last Sunday, when walking to Lo So Shing beach, I could see traces of typical wild boar rootling and wading in swamps. Surprising. The habitat is so limited and the population most likely so small to survive genetically. May be some runaway domestic pig?

spoke to someone who came across a wild boar last week on cable road, whilst she was walking towards the beach in Hung Shing Yee. She said it was quite an amazing sight!

Wild boar tracks are all over the oceanside trails through the "Lamma Forest" above Pak Kok when I was shooting another trail clearing exercise up there recently. No boar sightings yet inside the Lamma Forest,

One more sighting a few weeks back, just below, outside a house along the coastal path from the Lammarina to Pak Kok, by Dave Parker who got so excited that he forgot to take a picture but called me up right away.

Yes, time to see for myself and take up Anonymous Guy's most generous offer to endanger my life and limbs in trying to get my own photos of these very reclusive beasts; before another local hobby hunter catches them and roasts them, as might have been rumoured to have happened last year (or not).

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I understand that the AFCD have the power and the right to come looking for the wild boar if there are complaints.

That's the law. Fair enough (although I wish the AFCD didn't just have a catch and kill policy like they do with dogs)

But a 'hunting party' from Sai Kung?? That's illegal isn't it? I'm happy to follow them and take photo's if that is the case, just to document the 'wild boar' situation and the legalities of hunting wildlife here on our fair isle.

Killing just for pleasure of killing is simply barbaric. The wild boars should be protected. I am surprised they still find a niche for living on the Island. They certainly survived harder times in the HK history. The herd to stay in a good health needs to be probably at least 100 strong, which I doubt. So the animal is probably doomed to extinction anyway. Decimating the population just for excitement of killing is adding to the plight of the island’s fauna. There is a hope the wild boar may be one among specimen resistant to inbreeding effects (just studied Wikipedia).
Nothing to say I do not want to be taken for a wild boar (even though there my be some resemblance) and shot when walking along overgrown path.

[Love the bombastic soundtrack.[/quote]

This is it. High tech and money against the animal. Some people just need to boost their macho self-confidence by killing the beast. Sky diving is an alternative I should suggest. More environmetally friendly is walking along the edge of your rooftop.

More appropriate music would be the L'Apocalypse des Animaux by Vangelis. This title was coined by Frédéric Rossif or by Vangelis or by them jointly in seventies.

From HK Magazine:

"Boar Gore - Dec 1:

"Eight wild boars are shot in Stanley by the Sai Kung boar-hunting team, who responded to a request for help from the local police station. In a two-hour operation, the team wounds five boars and kills three, including a sow weighing over 150 kilograms. It is said that more boars have been seen in Stanley recently, threatening the lives of residents in nearby housing estates."

Could it be just a matter of time before some of our residents feel their "lives threatened" and call in the "boar-hunting team"?

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FINALLY, we got a picture to go along with this topic! Congrats to Trey Menefee who shot this photo just tonight!
He writes:

"I just ran across a wild boar snacking by the rubbish bins near the rain shelter between Yung Shue Long Old Village and Beer Garden.
"He was hungry, so let me take about six flash photos with my phone. This was about as close as I was willing to get."

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WOW! Just seen a wild boar in Po Wah Yuen, sorry no photos (no camera) but it was quite large, about 4 feet or so long long with a huge snout. It's dark, but someone there had a light on his phone. He probably took a picture. Really quite an experience. I think it was a bit dazed by the light.

It was opposite the bins on the road from upper YSW to Pak Kok. (there is a dog poo place by the bins) A lady there said she had a whole family of these piggies in her garden earlier.

WOW again!

"It was opposite the bins on the road from upper YSW to Pak Kok."

Gremlins again, of course it should have read on the road from upper PWY to Pak Kok. Sorry