San Jose approves wild boar killings, not ‘pig genocide’

San Jose has a big pig problem, as in 200-pound wild boars tearing up and eating their way through ritzy neighborhoods. So the city council this week came up with a solution: a three-month open hunting season within city limits.

State-permitted shooting of the hoofed-beasts was approved by the San Jose City Council after officials determined the animals were found to be the culprits behind chewed up lawns and golf course fairways.

There was also a concern of what would happen if a pig vs. human encounter got out of hand.

One councilman, Johnny Khamis, said he also didn’t want to see the first pig-related human “casualty” in the city, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

“It’s not my intention to go out and commit a pig genocide,” Khamis said. “I’m only here to make sure the public is not harmed by these very bold group of animals.”

The measure will be in effect for three months before officials discuss a longer-term solution.

Anyone who wants to shoot a pig within city limits must first obtain a depredation permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. A pig must be trapped before it can be shot.

It’s apparently not fully understood how dozens of the 200-pound boars came into the area around the upscale Almaden Valley in South San Jose this fall, the Mercury News reported. But since their arrival, homeowners and businesses have reported thousands of dollars in damage.

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ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com