Wild boar's reign cut short
09 March 2005
By ANN-MARIE JOHNSON
The wild boar of Karori has met his match – slain by a couple of good keen Wellington men.
The beast, believed to be the ringleader of wild pigs that terrorised Karori residents last year, was finally tracked down and killed by local hunters Colin Toft and Sam Watson.
Weighing 97kg, it was one of the largest Mr Toft had ever caught. It was also quite old, judging by the fact one of its tusks had grown so long it had curled back and pierced its cheek, he said.
Wild pigs took up residence in bush behind Karori last May. They were seen on Wrights Hill Reserve and were also disturbed while uprooting residents' gardens, terrifying children.
Greater Wellington regional council said it was unusual to come across wild pigs so close to a residential area. They had probably travelled from the south coast.
The council and Conservation Department trapped some of the pigs – believed to number about 10 – but Mr Toft, a regular possum hunter in the area, said he had seen signs some were still on the loose.
He caught a 68kg boar in the area last week and knew from its injuries it had recently been in a fight with another boar.
So for the past few days, the hunt has been on. "He eluded us a few times but we just hit him today...he was in absolutely rubbishy country where I was doing the possums."
Mr Toft's four dogs finally cornered the boar. "The dogs are good and if the dogs get him under control he doesn't go anywhere. He ran a bit but once they hit the gully he was too big to get out of it."
He and Mr Watson finished the animal off with a knife before taking five hours to carry it out of the gorse-and-blackberry-covered area.
Mr Toft said their success catching the boar came from knowing the area so well. "I just love the outdoors," he said.
The boar is now destined to be processed into sausages by a local butcher.
