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Woman attacked by wild boar in Hyogo

22 Comments

A 49-year-old woman was injured by a wild boar in Kobe, police said Tuesday.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 9 p.m. Monday in Higashinada Ward. NTV reported that the woman had just finished shopping when the boar charged at her. She ran into a parking lot but the boar bit her on the left calf.

Police said the wound was not deep. The woman was treated at hospital and then allowed to go home.

Police said the boar may have been after the food inside the woman's shopping bag.

Ward officials said there have been six attacks by wild boars in the area since April.

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22 Comments
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It is not a good idea to feed animals. Result could have been more than a small bite. This what happens when habitats are disrupted.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Police said the boar may have been after the food inside the woman’s shopping bag."

If the woman had been good enough to give the poor hungry animal some of the food in her bag, it might not have bitten her.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I used to live in Kobe in the late 80s and the funniest thing I heard about boars was that during the Rokko marathon in 1988 the hungry boars ate the white flour markers that guided the runners on their course. This may have run a few runners off a slippery slope.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Go to youtube and type in inoshishi. There you can see what appears to be farmers zapping them to death in cages. Some of those boars are pretty good size. Must be great for a neighborhood BBQ.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Proof that Japan's environment isn't that unhealthy.

Except around Fukushima, I think it's in pretty good shape compared to other industrialized countries. (As in neither "fantastic" or "terrible")

I have a couple of Masked Palm Civets (Hakubishin) who pass by my window every so often.

Really? I didn't think they were native to Japan?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Proof that Japan's environment isn't that unhealthy. I have a couple of Masked Palm Civets (Hakubishin) who pass by my window every so often.

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@Viking

But the scariest encounter was with a large snake after we moved to a small house halfway up "Rokko-san". It seems Kobé has become scary !

Not trying to compete but I saw 4, each a different species, all within a few square meters of each other, apparently hunting frogs after a rainy spell.

This was at the bottom of Mount Maya, same place where a delicious boar killed a Saint Bernard, or so I was told.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

We are talk about Kobe, where suburban satellite communities are increasing. Note that this incident happened in the city, not on some abandoned farm. Where the abandoned farm argument could have some merit would be if abandoned farms had pigs that went wild.

Wild boar are very dangerous when in packs.

I have a wild boar story. Years ago I taught English at an explosives factory. (Yes, I got a bang out of it.). The factory did their explosives tests in embankments whose walls were earth. Little crabs dwelt in the walls. Wild boars came down from the hills to dig up the walls to eat the crabs, making said walls unsafe for tests. After trying various scare tactics, the factory hired some old hunters with equally old dogs. It was summer and the hunts were unsuccessful because the dogs tired easily in the heat would lie down in the middle of the woods and refuse to move. Come autumn and cooler weather, the hunts were successful and the game restaurants in the area got a lot of wild boar meat. And this was apparently enough to keep the walls and their crabs safe.

If wild boar are invading Nada ku, the wild boar population does need to be culled. But we need to keep in mind the consequences of urban encroachment and animal displacement.

The apartments of my explosives factory had periodic home invasions by monkeys.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Jack666 Jun. 18, 2014 - 06:35AM JST The boars are increasing because people are abandoning the countryside as the human population ages.

Why don't Japan commercialize the wild boars and control their population? There is a growing interest in the production and marketing of wild boar meat. Not only does it taste great, but it is also lower in fat than chicken. This product should be well established since the quality of wild boar meat is much better in comparison to commercial pork. Boars are great for BBQ's.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Sorry Kabukilover but the green excuse for everything won't work in this case. The boars are increasing because people are abandoning the countryside as the human population ages. Far from humans increasingly encroaching into animal territory, humans are increasingly becoming concentrated in cities. Its only natural that animals should begin to move into abandoned or depopulated areas. And whats wrong with animals and humans 'disputing' a particular locale anyway? Animals and people have been using each other as a food source forever.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

This brings back memories of being chased by a sounder of boars when I was a CIR on JET. I've never petaled so fast in my life. On the other hand, the locals would trap (hunt) the boars, giving me some of the meat.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Oh, seriously? The Americans jump in quoting hunting seasons and gun laws. Really? さすが!Of course there is no season for hunting wild boar. Gees! Don't take yourselves so damn seriously! The thing is, these are pests and should be controlled, as are the wild pigs in Australia. It's great sport and they are delicious on the barby. But, sorry to the Americans cos it is better to hunt them without guns. Just a pack of dogs, a big knife and some balls! Anybody can shoot a pig from a hundred yards away. Big deal! Let's see how you go getting up close and personal with a pack of dogs and diving on a 100k boar with your knife, hey?

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

In the United States, there is no " Season " for wild boar. They are VERY dangerous, and you can shoot them ANY time.

Only in hunting areas or states that have the stand your ground law that allow you to carry guns in public.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Oooo, this is a bit close to home.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The problem is likely urban encroachment into the boars' natural habitat. This has happen with my hometown. We have had home invasions by raccoons and at least one mountain lion that was put down, though it was only sleeping in tree. In japan we have seen bears coming to town to forage for food. It is likely that the wild boar attacked the woman because it thought she we invading its territory.

There ought to be limits to urban growth and a concentrated effort to preserve natural habitats.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Last spring, came around a corner on the trail to the herb garden on Rokko, and there was a boar with a piglet! The bitty one was cute but we were so glad momma decided the best thing to do was run away. A heart-stopping moment!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

In the United States, there is no " Season " for wild boar. They are VERY dangerous, and you can shoot them ANY time.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Woo hoo! Get the gun granny! It's hunting season! - Too many areas of Japanese forest are overrun with these feral pests and nobody gives a hoot about it. I'd be more than happy to get a few of my mates from Oz and their dogs and we'd go in and clean them up, if the local councils want to shell out some cash, of course.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Hogashinada Ku? The residents used to feed them around there. Zizhi, was your cut from a tusk?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Higashinada Ward

WOW ! We used to live there ! Luckily I never encountered any boars (a couple bores, yes !) But the scariest encounter was with a large snake after we moved to a small house halfway up "Rokko-san". It seems Kobé has become scary !

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Lots of them around there. Supposed to be some near where I live but have not seen any yet.

I suggest botan-nabe as a solution.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

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