A TikTok shows just how quickly things can go awry with wild animal encounters.
The video, posted by WonderLand TV (@wonderlandtv00), showed a warthog approaching the cameraman in what looked like a tropical resort.
“Hello, boy! I wonder if we can pet him,” he wonders as the warthog gets close.
A woman asks if they can touch it, and just after someone says no and she repeats that information, the animal charges. The camera goes flying. “Help me! Help! Help!” the man calls out.
Warthogs are native to sub-Saharan Africa, but it’s unclear where this video was taken. The creatures play an important ecosystem role in soil engineering by digging for food in savannah habitats. However, like most wild pigs, warthogs are aggressive.
The man in the video wasn’t the first to be attacked by a warthog after being too friendly; wild pigs can be as aggressive in urban environments as they are in national parks.
They are notoriously invasive, able to cause significant damage to crops. Their speed, rapid reproduction rate, and tough hides make them difficult to remove from areas, though bounty hunting and culinary demand can scare them farther afield.
Habitat degradation is putting wild animals in closer proximity with humans. Trash alone is a major attractant for wildlife, nevermind open invitations by humans. The food animals acquire from humans generally creates problems with their physiology, resulting in poor health outcomes, especially when animals feed on plastic.
By protecting animal habitats, people ensure wildlife can find all the food it needs without sniffing around humans. In the meantime, this and similar video clips offer a reminder to keep distance from wild animals, even if they seem friendly.
Users criticized the person who seemingly tried to pet the warthog.
“Quit trying to pet and/or feed wild animals. View them from a distance and leave them alone,” one said.
“That boar will literally gut you like a fish,” another wrote.
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