SAN JOSE — Pigs that continue to go hog wild ripping up prized lawns throughout San Jose will have to contend with not just mountain lions and other predatory animals but also humans who have been cleared to shoot and kill them.
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday night voted 7-3 to establish a permanent law that allows licensed trappers to catch and shoot boars.
A trial law that passed in late 2013 and cleared the way for pig-killing, was set to expire next week. But officials continue to field complaints about the boars, some of which weigh hundreds of pounds, rummaging through fairways, business landscaping and residential yards looking for food. Locals used the new law to kill 14 pigs, which barely made a dent in the population of the rapidly breeding hogs, though supporters contend that the traps apparently scared off other pigs.
The swine sightings — an on-and-off issue for more than a decade — have centered almost entirely on the southern tip of San Jose, in the Almaden Valley and Coyote Creek areas, especially in the summer.
As they did when the temporary law was approved, officials are reminding residents that the change does not mean people can simply go out with guns blazing looking to fire away at the porkers. Only caged animals can be shot, and only people with a state permit can do the killing.
Appointed Councilwoman Margie Matthews opposed the plan, saying she was against guns being shot in neighborhoods, and Councilman Ash Kalra, another “no” vote, preferred the city look at other methods to control the pig population. Don Rocha also voted against the plan and Tam Nguyen was absent.
Contact Mike Rosenberg at 408-920-5705. Follow him at Twitter.com/RosenbergMerc.
