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View from the Bernal Hill Loop Trail in Santa Teresa Park, showing
fire damage on the hills above Curie, San Ignacio, and Heaton Moor.
Bernal
Middle School is in the center.
Contents
Introduction
On October 10, 2005, a fire burned a large swath of the hills of
Santa Teresa Park between Santa Teresa Spring and the Buck Norred Ranch
site (see
here for
pictures
of the fire). It was probably no coincidence that soon after
the
fire,
the neighborhood below it started to be invaded by wild pigs. People
who
have lived in the neighborhood for years said they have never had
problems
with pigs until right after the fire. The pigs, who normally feed in
the
hills and valleys of Santa Teresa park, started attacking lawns and
gardens
in the neighborhood. They root around with their noses to
look
for
food, digging up landscaping in the process. Hardest hit were homes
along
Heaton Moor and Manila Drive. Also hit were homes along Endmoor, Curie,
and Camino Verde. The pictures below show some of the damage the pigs
have
caused.
Pig Facts
- Wild Pigs are not native to North America. Pigs here
were
introduced
from
Eurasia either as domestic hogs brought over for food or as wild boars,
introduced for hunting. Pigs were brought by Christopher Columbus to
the
West Indies in 1493 and by De Soto to Florida in 1593. Domestic hogs
were
released in California in 1769. Wild boar were released in California
in
1925. Pigs are now found in at least 23 states. The nationwide
population
is estimated to be around 4 million. They are found in 56 of
California's
58 counties.
- Wild boars and feral hogs can interbreed.
- Their weight typically ranges from 110 to 770 lbs.,
with
some domestic
breeds reaching almost 1000 lbs. They can grow up to 3 feet tall and 6
feet long.
- Male wild boars have 4 razor sharp, curled tusks that
can
grow to 9
inches.
They use their tusks for digging, for fighting other males when
competing
for mates, and for defense.
- Male boars have a thick, tough hide covering from
their
neck to the
bottom
of their ribs. This can be 1 to 3 inches thick and protects them when
fighting.
- Pig breed year round. Females typically breed at 18
months
of age and
have
1 to 2 litters per year with 5-12 piglets per litter. If enough food is
available, a wild pig population can double every 4 month or increase
by
8 times per year. The table below shows how fast the number of pigs can
increase at this rate of populatoin growth, assuming no population
limitations:
Year |
Number of Pigs |
0 |
2 |
1 |
16 |
2 |
128 |
3 |
1,024 |
4 |
8,192 |
5 |
65,536 |
6 |
524,288 |
7 |
4,194,304 |
8 |
33,554,432 |
9 |
268,435,456 |
10 |
2,147,483,648 |
- Obviously the above population growth is impossible.
Pig
populations
are
limited by predation, lifespan, disease, injury, reduced birth rate due
to population stress, and the amount of food and water. The populations
can increase if available food and water are supplemented by the pigs
expandng
into new territory, such as suburban areas.
- Adult pigs have few natural predators. They may be
preyed
upon by
bears,
mountain lions, and crocodiles. Eagles, large snakes, wolves, bobcats,
and coyotes may prey on young pigs. In Asia, they are preyed upon by
tigers.
Their primary predator, however, is man.
- Wild pigs typically live to about 10 years.
- Sows will forage with their young, typically in a
family
group of 6.
Family
groups may join together in groups of 50 to 100. Mature males are
solitary.
- Pigs are omnivorous. They will eat plant matter, such
as
fungus,
grasses,
roots, acorns, fruit, berries, seeds, nuts, roots, bulbs, tubers, and
leaves.
They will also eat invertebrates, such as grubs, snails, slugs, and
worms.
They will even eat vertebrates, such as frogs, fish, reptiles, rodents,
bird eggs, small mammals, and carrion. They have been known to eat
fawns,
lambs, calves and kids.
- They need lots of water to survive. They do not
thrive in
desert
climates.
- Their natural feeding behavior is by rooting with
their
tough snouts.
- They can run up to 30 miles and hour and can swim.
- Pigs have poor eyesight, but very acute hearing and
smell.
- Pigs will normally retreat if confronted, but will
attack
if cornered,
wounded, or defending their young. Though pig attacks are rare, pigs
have
injiured and killed pets and sometimes people.
- Pigs wandering or running across roads can cause
traffic
hazards. Pigs
have been known to attack and damage cars.
- Wild pigs can carry diseases, such as pseudorabies,
swine
brucellosis,
tuberculosis, and trichinosis. Some diseases can be transmitted to pets
and people.
- In the park, pigs can dig up hillsides, causing
increased
erosion,
reduced
vegetation, trail damage, and silting of creeks. They can also damage
sensitive
habitats for native species and compete with them for food. They can
promote
the growth of non-native plants, such as yellow star thistle.
Pictures
of Neighborhood Pig
Damage
Below are pictures of the pig damage in the neighborhoods below Santa
Teresa
Park, starting on Heaton Moor west of Brockenhurst Drive, and going
west.
(Note to residents: these pictures of homes are intended to document
the
damage. If you do not wish to have your home shown on this page, let me
know, and I will remove the picture. If you want higher resolution
pictures
to show your friends or insurance company, let me know, and I can send
them to you.)
Heaton Moor, 11/4/05
Norred Court, 11/4/05
Norred Court, 11/4/05
Norred Court, 11/4/05
Heaton Moor, 11/4/05
Heaton Moor, 11/4/05
Heaton Moor, 11/4/05
Heaton Moor, 11/4/05
Heaton Moor, 11/4/05
Construction fences around yards on Endmoor, 11/17/05
Bernal Middle School field, 11/7/05
Gates recently installed at Bernal School to prevent
further
pig damage,
11/12/05
Manila Drive, 11/4/05
Manila Drive, 11/4/05
Manila Drive, 11/4/05
Manila Drive, 11/4/05
Manila Drive and Camino Verde, 11/4/05
Manila Drive, 11/4/05
Manila Drive, 11/17/05
Camino Verde 11/4/05
Curie Drive 11/15/05
Curie Drive and Applegate Court 11/15/05
Pig Damage
in Santa Teresa Park
Wild pigs have been tearing up the hills in Santa Teresa Park for the
past
few years. The worst damage has been along the Ohlone Trail, which runs
along the wetter northeast-facing face of the hills.
Santa Teresa Park, Ohlone Trail, 4/9/03
Ohlone Trail, 11/7/04
Ohlone Trail, 11/7/04
Ohlone Trail, 11/7/04
Pig
Damage in Shady Oaks Park
on Coyote Creek
The areas along Coyote Creek have been experiencing pig damage for at
least
a year. Metcalf Park and the neighboorhood around it were hard hit in
the
past. This year, the pigs attacked Shady Oaks Park.
Shady Oaks Park, 9/16/05
Shady Oaks Park, 9/16/05
Shady Oaks Park, 9/16/05
Metcalf
Park Area Pig Damage
The Metcalf Park Area is between Coyote Creek and Monterey Highway.
Pigs
living along Coyote Creek have been attacking the neighborhood.
Pig damage to neighborhood lawn at Forsum Rd and Menard
Drive
across
from the Coyote Creek Trail
Except for the above, most of the lawns of homes in this
area
have not
been attacked by pigs. The reason is that the pigs have been
concentrating
on the lawns of Metcalf Park itself. These pictures were taken on
11/20/05.
Metcalf Park lawn. Coyote Creek is to the left.
Picnic area, with the Coyote Creek Trail on the levee
behind
it.
Metcalf Park, looking towards houses along Forsum Rd.
Approaches
to Pig Control
There are several approaches to the pig damage in the neighborhood
adjacent
to Santa Teresa Park:
- Wait until the rains come. The pigs will return to
the park
hills.
- Thin out the pig population in the park by trapping
the
pigs in the
park.
- Note: Hunting with firearms in the park is
impractical
because of the
proximity
of urban areas and the high usage of park trails. Discharging firearms
in the city is illegal.
- Trap the pigs in the neighborhood.
- Note: trapping requires a DFG permit and hiring
trappers.
Relocating
the
pigs after trapping is problematic because no one wants them.
- Chase them out of the neighborhood. (Note that pigs
can be
dangerous if
cornered.)
- Feed the pigs in the park to lure them away from the
neighborhood.
- Individual homeowners can fence their yards to
prevent pig
damage.
(Note
that pigs have gone under plastic construction fences.)
- Make lawns less attractive by not watering them,
killing
off lawn grubs
that pigs feed on, and/or use repellents (like cayenne pepper).
- Replace lawns with rocks or non-pig-friendly
landscaping.
- Put fences in strategic places in the park to prevent
pigs
from
entering
the neighborhood. This issue will be discussed below.
Each of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages. Some have
short-term
benefits, but not long-term. Some are are expensive. Some are
politically
controversial. These are not mutually-exclusive. A combination of
several
of these approaches may be the best strategy.
Exit Routes For
Pigs From the Park
Santa Teresa Park is huge. It covers 1600 acres on both sides of the
Santa
Teresa Hills. Fencing it off entirely to prevent pigs from escaping
seems
like a monumental task. However, the park already has fencing in many
area.
Also, it is bordered on one side by the Coyote-Alamitos Canal. Keeping
pigs from leaving the park may be a matter of finding exit routes and
blocking
them.
This is the Coyote-Alamitos Canal just south of Santa
Teresa
Spring.
The hillside fire appears to have started near this point in the canal.
The canal has steep paved sides, which should be difficult for pigs to
climb. However, the canal has ramps, landslides, and bridges over it
which
can allow pigs to cross over. In several places, the canal goes
underground,
such as at Santa Teresa Spring, which is just beyond the end of the
canal
above.
Brockenhurst Drive Gate to the Mounted Ranger Unit at
the Buck
Norred
Ranch Site
Neighbors have reported seeing pigs coming out of the
Brockenhurst Drive
Gate. This is the entrance to the Mounted Ranger Unit at the former
site
of the Buck Norred Ranch. At the site, the Coyote-Alamitos Canal goes
underground
for a long distance. There are no obstacles to prevent the pigs from
coming
out of the hills at this point.
At Heaton Moor and Endmoor, the park property comes down
to
the road.
The old barbed wire fence has been breached. To the right of this
picture
is a bridge over the Coyote-Alamitos Canal and a hole in the fence
above
it.
This is the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch. In the center is
the
start of
the Joice Trail. The Coyote-Alamitos Canal goes under this trail and
the
drainage to the right of it before reappearing behind the caretaker's
house.
There is a gate at the bottom of the trail.
This is the gate at the Santa Teresa Golf Course behind
the
driving
range. The gate is for a service road that intersects the Coyote Peak
Trail
and the Ohlone Trail.
This is a closeup of the gate, showing how it was
modified
with an add-on
frame to hold wire fencing. The pedestrian gate is spring-loaded, so
that
it must be pushed from the downhill side. This effectively prevents
pigs
from invading the golf course from the park trails. Gates like this
could
be used in other parts of the park to prevent pigs from exiting the
park.
Meeting on
Wild Pig Problem, 11/28/05
San Jose City Councilman Forrest Williams and Santa Clara County
Supervisor
Don Gage sponsored a meeting on Monday 11/28/05 at the Southside
Community
Center to discuss the pig problem. Here are some notes from the meeting
(not necessarily in order):
- Forrest Williams hosted the meeting and introduced
the
problem.
- Rachael Gibson represented Supervisor Don Gage. City,
county, and
county
parks representatives were in attendance.
- Ron Horii gave a Powerpoint presentation (based on
this
webpage)
showing
the damage pigs have caused in and around Santa Teresa Park and along
Coyote
Creek. He showed the condition of the hills, the damage caused by
recent
fires, and possible pig exit routes from Santa Teresa Park. (See the
presentation
in the Links section below.)
- John Cicerelli, director of San Jose's Animal Care
&
Services:
- The agency deals with domestic animals, not
wildlife.
- They will remove animals that are sick or insured
or
threaten personal
safety. The city will respond if pigs are attacking someone, if they
are
sick or dead or stuck in a fence.
- They don't have resources in the city to deal with
the
pigs.
- There have been no confirmed cases of pigs hurting
people
in this
county.
- Dogs can be hurt or killed by pigs if they fight
with
them.
- More people have been hurt by deer than by pigs.
- Hunting is illegal in the city. An errant bullet
can be
deadly. Even
using
a slingshot or any projectile weapon is illegal. Changing this rule
requires
the city council to pass an urgency ordinance to temporarily lift the
ban,
but there needs to be a clear and present danger to people.
- Metcalf and Shady Oaks Park have been attacked by
pigs
for years. They
come out of the east foothills. They come and go.
- The total number of pigs is very large, but not
visible.
The pigs that
people see represent less than 1% of the total population of pigs.
- The pig problem requires a combination of methods,
such
as trapping,
repellants,
insecticide to kill grubs.
- Henry Coe State Park has thousands of pigs and have
experienced damage
from them. The park has an on-going trapping effort, but it hasn't
helped,
and it has been expensive.
- It costs $250 to pay a licensed trapper to setup a
trap.
They require a
$600 deposit in case the trap is vandalized. There have been cases of
people
releasing trapped pigs or vandalizing traps. Each pig caught costs
$200-$250
to dispose of. The state will not allow them to be relocated or
re-released.
They are usually taken to rendering plants. Estimate $3000 for 2 traps
and 10 pigs.
- Plastic construction fences will not stop the pigs
if
they want to come
in.
- At the park in Basking Ridge, the city had problems
with
the pigs
damaging
the park. They broke the irrigation system. The city fixed it and let
part
of the park dry up and sprayed the turf to kill insects. That part of
the
park did not get further damage. The pigs attacked untreated parts of
the
park and neighborhood lawns.
- Pigs have gotten hit by cars on Monterey Highway.
- Cayenne or black pepper may deter pigs. They have
sensitive noses.
- John Norris, DFG, patrol lieutenant, Santa Clara-San
Benito
Counties:
- The DFG will issue depradation permits to remove
troublesome animals.
- They are being more lenient issuing permits.
- They will issue permits to the city, county, state
parks,
and
homeowners.
- They have issued trapping permits to landowners in
the
Santa Teresa
Hills
for several years in a row. Sometimes they catch pigs, sometimes not.
- Fencing works the best. It needs to be a
semi-permanent
solid fence.
- Modular hogwire fences anched 8-10 inches into the
ground
should work.
They can be put up during the summer and taken down around November.
- When the heavy rains come, the pigs will start
going back
into the
hills.
- Trapping is only successful part of the time.
- Hunting cannot eliminate all the pigs.
- Trapping has caught about 3000 pigs in Henry Coe.
They
estimate there
are
5000-6000 pigs in the park. It has reduced the problem, but not
eliminated
it. It has cost $50-80K.
- Trapping must be done by a licensed trapper.
- Jim O'Connor, head of Santa Clara County Parks
Maintenance:
- The county parks cover 45,000 acres. They have been
dealing with pigs
for
years. They have been trapping pigs for 10 years. They have spent
around
$250K on them, mostly in the last 4 years.
- They have had problems with pigs attacking the
campground
at Grant
Ranch.
It has been a safety issue. They changed the garbage cans to make them
pig-proof.
- There was a problem at Almaden Quicksilver around
McAbee
around 8-9
years
ago. Pigs were attacking new housing. Hogwire fence was put up. The
pigs
moved along the fence and now are causing problems at Hollow
Lake.
- People have cut fences. They have have had problems
with
illegal
hunting.
It is expensive to maintain fences.
- In Annadel State Park, the entire park was fenced
to keep
pigs out, but
poachers cut the fence.
- The problem with fencing off parks is that it
blocks
wildlife corridors
and prevents their movement.
- They have also had pig problems at Coyote-Bear
Ranch and
Coyote Creek.
- They did pig trapping at Mt. Madonna Park a few
years ago.
- Pig problems tend to be cyclic. They follow the
acorn
crops.
- Putting contraceptives in feed is being studied,
but the
trick is in
getting
an effective dose to the pigs.
- The parks will not feed wildlife in the parks to
keep
them there.
- A long-term solution is for homeowners to put up
hard
picket fencing.
- One homeowner said he put up a motion-detector
sprinkler in
his yard to
scare off the pigs.
- Mike Boulland, president of the Friends of Santa
Teresa
Park,
recommended
the County Parks look at the places where the pigs exit Santa Teresa
Park
and see about fencing those off.
- Elizabeth Cord, from the Santa
Teresa Citizen Action Group, recommended getting a small
working
committee
together to address the problem.
- Government Links:
Meeting on
Feral Pigs, 8/23/06
On
Wednesday 8/23/06, a meeting was hosted by councilman Forrest Williams
to update the community on actions taken and to distribute an
informational flyer. There were people from Forrest Williams' and Nancy
Pyle's office and San
Jose
animal control. Joe Schultz and Don Rocha from the County
Parks and
Elizabeth Cord from the Santa
Teresa Citizens Action Group were there. There was a
representative
from the Little
Blue Society, which resolves human-animal conflicts. Ron
Horii
represented the Friends of Santa Teresa Park. Here's a summary of some
of the points made in the meeting:
- Forrest Williams said his office did a lot of
research into
how to resolve the pig problem. They talked to people at UC Davis, CSU
Fresno, and Animal Control. They found there was no effective control
solution except for extermination. They can't allow shooting the
animals. It is illegal to discharge a weapon in San Jose. They looked
into sterilization, but found that these methods could affect all
animals, including pets and people. They determined that education was
the best option, so they created an informational
flyer, which they
distributed at the meeting.
- The flyer describes what feral pigs look like, where
they
came from, where they live, what they eat, and how they behave. It
describes predators, why people should be concerned about the pigs, and
the difficulties with eliminating them. It describes what people can do
to protect their property from pig damage. It lists different agencies
and organizations to contact for help and more information.
- In Basking Ridge Park, whose lawn was dug up by pigs
last
year, the city put insecticide on the ground to kill the grubs before
re-sodding it. They'll see if that is effective in keeping the pigs
from attacking the lawn again, as pigs dig up lawns to get to the grubs
under the sod.
- The problem with insecticides is that they kill
beneficial
organisms, like earthworms. Beneficial
nematodes
are safer for the environment. They kill grubs and other harmful
insects, but leave earthworms and beneficial insects alone.
- City ordinances prohibit paving over lawns, parking
cars on
lawns, or having bare dirt instead of lawns. They need to be landscaped
in some way, but that could be with ground cover, decorative rocks or
bark, but not necessarily lawns. It could even be artificial turf, but
you have to make sure you don't have grubs living below it. Rocks and
cactus are fine and pig-proof.
- The pigs who were attacking the neighborhoods were
most
likely the same small herds repeating their actions. However, if they
were elmiinated, other pigs would most likely follow the scent trails
and replace them.
- Pigs cannot be trapped and released. They have to be
killed.
- Ron Horii commented that one of the problems with
trapping
is that traps can be vandalized. If it is necessary to trap pigs in
Santa Teresa Park, there are 2 areas that would be save from vandalism:
the Mounted Ranger Unit and the Pyzak Ranch. The Mounted Ranger Unit
has rangers during the day and a camp host at night. The Pyzak Ranch
has park personnel living in the houses there.
- There were several comments that trapping is
expensive and
may work in the short-term, but not in the long-term. (Note: private
citizens can get a DFG permit and hire licensed trappers to trap pigs
on their property.)
- Some residents have installed motion-activated
sprinklers to scare the pigs away. They work, but they are
battery-operated, so you have to make sure the batteries are still
good. There is a sprinkler like this at the Mounted Ranger Unit to
scare mountain lions away from the horses.
- After the meeting, Joe Schultz said that the
Brockenhurst
Drive gate to the Mounted Ranger Unit is now an official entrance to
Santa Teresa park. The gate will be replaced with a remote-controlled
gate for the rangers to use, and a self-closing gate for park users.
The gates will have hogwire to keep the pigs from going through them.
Links
The wild pig situation and what to do about it is a very complicated
issue.
The links below provide access to more information.
Local and Bay Area Pig Information
- Feral
Pig Problem in
the
Santa Teresa
Neighborhood October-November 2005 (Powerpoint presentation based on
this
webpage) Warning: 19MB file
- Map
of Santa Teresa Park
- KNTV:
Wild Pigs
Return to San Jose
- KNTV:
Lush Lawns
Lure Herd of Wild Pigs (Oct. 2, 2002)
- Almaden
Resident
11/3/05: Wandering Wild Pigs Uproot Almaden Man's Lawn, Twice
- In
San Jose,
Rooting For Relief From Feral Pigs (11/10/02)
- Metroactive:
The Fly - Death to Pigs
- MROSD
going after
pigs to preserve native plants
- MROSD:
Authorization to Hire Rural Pig Management, Inc. to Conduct a Wild Pig
Management Program on District Lands
- The
Almanac 3/15/00: Hog heaven: As marauding pigs devastate mountain
landscapes,
do we control them, or allow them to destroy native plants, animals and
fish?
- The
Almanac 3/15/00: A wild sus scrofa is no Disney 'Babe'
- The
Almanac: 9/13/00: Wild pigs: Open space district traps, kills
them
- The
Almanac 3/21/01: Open space district meeting on controlling wild
pigs
- The
Almanac 3/7/01: Open space district traps, kills wild pigs
- The
Almanac 8/14/02: Wild pigs dig Portola Valley
- The
Almanac 9/4/02: Portola Valley gets tough on wild pigs
- The
Almanac 9/11/02: Portola Valley catches, kills five wild pigs
- The
Almanac 4/16/03: New contract on pigs (MROSD)
- South
Skyline
Association: Wild/Feral Pigs Update (see pg. 5)
- Pigs,
Pigs and More Pigs...Feral Pigs Invade the Santa Cruz Mountains
- Little
Blue Society:
Feral Pig Control (Santa Cruz Mountains)
- Gilroy
Dispatch 12/14/04: Problematic Pigs
- Berkeley
Daily Planet: Burgeoning wild pigs force parks to hire trappers
- Tom
Stienstra: Henry Coe State Park rooting out wild pigs
- Wildlife
of Henry W.
Coe State Park: Wild Pig
- Feral
Pig (Sus scrofa) Soil Disturbance in Henry Coe State Park, California
- It's
Always Fair
Game for Wild Pigs
- Santa
Cruz Sentinel: Down on the Farm - Of pigs and men — both wild and
domestic
- California Department of Parks and Recreation: Monitoring
Feral Pig Damage, Wilder Ranch State Park (2001), Monitoring
Feral Pig (Sus scrofa) Activity at Wilder Ranch State Park (2002)
- California
Native
Plant Society: Wild Pigs and Plants
- Tom
Stienstra: Onslaught of the Wild Pigs - Bay Area park invaders march
northward
despite trapping efforts
- Tom
Stienstra: On the trail of Bay Area's destructive pigs
Laws and Regulations on Controlling Pigs
Information About Wild Pigs and Control
Pig Problems in Other Areas of California
Pig Problems in Other States and Canada
Return
to the Friends of
Santa Teresa
Park Home Page
Created 11/16/2005, updated 8/23/06 by Ronald
Horii
|