Wild boar with bullet proof skulls invade New York, killing pets and chasing people

(Reuters) – Wild boar are invading the farms of central New York state, attacking livestock, killing family pets, chasing people and posing "devastating consequences" for the area, federal officials warn.

The feral swine are a non-native species suspected of escaping from game farms, and as many as a couple of hundred are roaming the state, said Paul Curtis, a natural resources professor at Cornell University.

While an exact picture of the wild boar population in New York State is unclear, a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the swine were successfully breeding in the three counties and producing litters averaging 4 to 6 piglets.

"We've shot probably 15 to 20 of them in the last three years," said Peter Andersen, a third generation farmer in Long Eddy in Sullivan County.

Noting how difficult it is to kill the wild boar, Andersen described what sounded like a scene from a horror movie that could be called "Robo-Swine."

"We've shot them right square in the head and the bullet will glance off and they'll get up and go. Their skulls are so thick in the front, if you don't happen to hit it at a perfect 90 degrees, with the way their heads have that kind of curved shape, the bullet will glance right off," he said.

Full article at Reuters