Posted on 12/13/2019 11:14:03 AM PST by Perseverando
South Carolina investigators say wild boars are to blame for a series of possible attacks on horses in the state. (Source: Pexels)
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - South Carolina investigators say wild boars are to blame for a series of possible attacks on horses in the state.
Officials with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division announced on Wednesday that a joint investigation by several law enforcement agencies has been closed based on evidence that the attacks in the Upstate were the results of altercations with boars in the area.
The investigation involved five incidents that took place within a four-week span across Greenville and Spartanburg counties.
SLED officials cited animal tracks consistent with hogs, video evidence and sighting of boars in the area to support the investigators conclusion. During the investigation, DNR and veterinarians were consulted and assisted in the investigation.
Authorities added that an investigation into a horse shooting last month in Greenville County remains under investigation and is separate and not connected to this investigation.
While all of these incidents were extremely unfortunate, I am very thankful for the men and women who worked tirelessly to investigate these cases, said Greenville County Sheriff Johnny Mack Brown. In addition, I want to convey to our community members that our agency has and will continue to patrol these rural areas to ensure our citizens and their respective animals are safe and secure and for them to know that we have an active open channel of communication for anyone who has questions or concerns.
SLED released the following additional information:
The population of wild boars in the area has significantly increased in the last several years. To help control the increasing population of wild boars, DNR has authorized hunting during day and night of these animals with special permit. Information about the growing wild boar problem and recommendations for management and control is avaialble on DNRs website.
Law enforcement agencies advise residents to remain vigilant in taking steps to protect their animals and report any suspicious activity they may encounter.
Wild boars or feral hogs? Horses hate feral hogs I bet the same goes for wild boars.
Yeah, most horse owners in the Upstate and Tryon, NC area are calling bullsh*t on the findings.
Ate some the other day. Quite tasty.
If the horses were alive and standing, it could not have been hogs.
More likely panther/mountain lion wounds.
For some reason wildlife people have great resistance to acknowledging their presence.
By the way, I have a lot of experience with horses and almost every horse I have owned was really scared of hogs.
So no horse I ever owned would stand still for a hog attack. I think if in a pasture, the horse would run through the fence to get away if the attack persisted.
I should have made my reply conditional upon the report of a high bite being correct.
We will eventually find out.
Wounds on the lower legs makes sense for wild pigs.
Way up on the rump, chest high to a grown man, not so much.
And then there was the autopsy report saying not an animal but a weapon did the damage.
So, sounds like two different things going on.
Swig and Swine ! Savannah Highway, Charleston
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And this is why people I know who have horses also have a donkey around- not only to protect the horses from coyotes but from these monsters as well. Donkeys may be small but they can be mean little SOBs and most animals don’t want to deal with them.
Some of the horses were either killed or had to be euthanized due to the severity of the injuries.
Ironic that the DWF in SC just won't carte blanche and allow anyone to kill them day or night...one has to have a permit...They have to go through the government to get permission. Bull! Forty years ago the European wild boars were beginning to infest the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and several of us doing research there on the wildlife were given permission to kill every one we came across. We made some inroads but they increased numbers rapidly after we left.
Wounds on the lower legs makes sense for wild pigs.
Way up on the rump, chest high to a grown man, not so much.
A hog can’t turn it’s head to bite you when upright.
Hog farmers know not to let them get you to ground. Many stories of this when I grew up.
I have one friend that kills them on his place in W. Texas and just leaves them for the coyotes and another friend that hunts them mid Texas and claims they are good eatin.
In my opinion they taste awful. Fun to hunt though. We would butcher a few and feed them to the dogs.
Hey, release them in San Francisco, Berkeley and downtown LA—and any place there’s large number of homeless drug addicts, and I think many would be happy with it.
That wound could have happened after the horse was taken down.......
They are a terrible problem in GA. You can shoot on sight here.
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