After days of destruction in a South San Jose business park, several businesses finally figured out that feral pigs were causing the chaos.<\/p>\n
What’s happening?<\/p>\n
South San Jose business owners recently found that lawns, shrubs, and other landscaping at a local business park had been torn up within just a few days by a sounding of feral pigs. The group \u2014 including piglets \u2014 has been moving through the area in search of food as resources become harder to find, ABC 7 News reported in a TikTok<\/a>.<\/p>\n “LOL I’ve seen that sounder! They used to trail the back of my apartment complex,” one commenter wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Because all their natural habitat is getting torn down for buildings and apartments. Where else are they supposed to go?” another viewer commented.\u00a0<\/p>\n Santa Clara County Parks has managed feral pigs since 1994, PetHelpful reported<\/a>. Even so, they remain common around the edges of San Jose, California, where steady city growth has replaced open land, hills, and farmland with housing and commercial development.<\/p>\n Why does it matter?<\/p>\n The sightings in San Jose offer a local example of a much larger pattern: non-native wildlife posing a threat to human-built cities and farmland.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pigs were first brought to California by Spanish settlers in the 17th century, and again in the 20th century by Russian settlers looking to hunt for sport; with no natural predators, their population has exploded.\u00a0<\/p>\n For businesses and homeowners, that can mean property damage and cleanup costs. For residents, it can also mean more unexpected \u2014 and sometimes risky \u2014 encounters.<\/p>\n What’s being done?<\/p>\n Managing feral pig populations has been part of Santa Clara County Parks’ work<\/a> since 1994. While population management can help reduce damage, it does not fully solve the underlying problem of shrinking habitat and limited food sources.<\/p>\n Communities can reduce these conflicts by protecting open space, preserving wildlife corridors, and considering how new developments affect the animals already living nearby, according to the Open Space Authority.<\/a> Improved land-use planning can help prevent situations in which wildlife is pushed into business parks and residential areas simply to find food.<\/p>\n Get TCD’s free newsletters<\/a> for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here<\/a>.<\/p>\n