Wild or feral? The question hogging issue of pig menace

FOREST department officials from Thoothukudi district have sent hair and tissue samples of pigs to Advanced Institute of Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) in Chennai to determine whether the animals destroying agricultural fields in Kovilpatti, Ettayapuram and Vilathikulam are wild boars or feral pigs.

- S GODSON WISELY DASS @Thoothukudi

Pig menace has been a raging issue over several years across the rain-fed tracts of said areas, with pigs, in herds, allegedly damaging agricultural fields during the northeast monsoon season.

Several farmers have claimed that pigs mostly damage corn, maize or pulses, and complained about being attacked by the animals while visiting the fields alone.

The farmers alleged that their acts of retaliation, including attacking or culling of pigs, had attracted penal action, since an ambiguity prevails in the classification of the pig species.

According to sources, over 20 farmers are annually being booked for attacking pigs since 2018, besides over two dozen being severely injured by pigs.