Hamlet (Wild Pig)
Sus scrofa
The pigs found in the Sierra Nevada
foothills are considered feral pigs introduced around 1925. They forage for food at dawn and at
dusk—causing considerable damage to yards, fields, orchards, and crops. They have flexible tough snout discs that
they use to root-up the earth in search of acorns, tubers, roots and
grubs. They are fast runners and good
swimmers. Their territory can extend
from 5 square miles to 50 square miles.
The sow travels with her family usually in a group of six to ten. The males tend to be solitary except during breeding
season and are easily identified by their 3 inch to 5
inch upper tusks which are effective in protecting their family. The adults have quite a variation in color
ranging from brown to grey to black. The
piglets have long stripes that disappear at about two months old. The average life span for a wild pig is 15-25 years.
Hamlet is a
more recent resident. He was found in
the road in Wonder Valley by a family concerned for his safety. With no parent in sight they gathered him up
and gave us a call. He still had
remnants of his stripes. He was
aggressive as a piglet, but now that he has been neutered, he has settled
down.