Portola Valley gets tough on wild pigs Portola Valley gets tough on wild pigs (September 04, 2002)

** Town hires trapper to catch and shoot pigs.

By Sharon Driscoll
Almanac Staff Writer

Taking action just weeks after receiving the first report of wild pigs digging up yards and fields in town, Portola Valley's Town Council voted unanimously at its meeting on August 28 to allow the non-native pigs to be trapped and shot by town-contracted trappers licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game.

The day after the council's vote, two traps were set by Dick Seever and his company, Rural Pig Management Inc., behind Rossotti's soccer field on Alpine Road at Arastradero Road, and two more traps were set in the yards of two of the six private homes along Alpine Road where pig problems have been reported since early August. The cost to the town won't exceed $3,000, said an official.

"They're still here, and they are moving up Alpine Road through town," said Angela Howard, Portola Valley's town administrator. "We just heard that they were at Corte Madera School."

Corte Madera School Office Manager Sheila Bleier said the school's janitor reported damage to a 12-foot section of the field on August 30, and it had the telltale signs of pig damage: grass dug up in strips.

While no estimate on the cost to repair the pig damage was available, Ms. Bleier said the school is in the midst of a new construction project that will not be completed for another three to five months, and the field is scheduled for an overhaul after the buildings are finished and the heavy equipment is gone.

She added that the school might have to consider a pig-proof fence to protect its grounds from the extensive damage the animals can cause.

Weighing as much as 300 pounds, the pigs look impressive, with tusks and long, black hair. They have been migrating along Skyline Boulevard from Santa Cruz, and have been a problem for South Skyline residents and the Midpeninsula Open Space District since about 1999, according to the district's public affairs manager, Stephanie Jensen.

But the problem is new to Portola Valley. Ms. Howard said this is the first time she has heard of wild pigs in town. "When I got the first report, I thought the caller was kidding," she said.

The pigs dig up grass and plants, rooting for grub and rodents.

"They've already caused significant damage on three occasions over the past few weeks to Rossotti's soccer field, which has had to be re-sod twice at a cost of thousands of dollars," said Ms. Howard.

Trapping and killing about 266 pigs in the past 18 months has cost about $55,000, said Ms. Jensen of the open space district. While the district is investigating alternative pig-control programs, trapping and shooting is the most effective option right now, she said.

Ms. Howard cautioned residents to keep their distance from both the pigs and the traps. "We're dealing with very big, very smart, very aggressive animals," she said.

The decision to trap and kill the animals was not taken lightly, she said. The town was advised by the Department of Fish and Game that trapping is the most effective way to control the pig population, which can grow very quickly.

"Once the pigs are trapped, there's nowhere for them to go. No other town or open space district wants them, so we can't set them free," Ms. Howard explained.

She said that Mr. Seever, who has worked with the open space district, expects to trap 10 pigs over the next 30 days. But Ms. Howard does not expect the problem to go away completely, with feral pigs living so close to Portola Valley.

"This is a statewide problem, with feral pigs in 56 of California's 58 counties," said Ms. Jensen. "But the district is seeing initial signs of success in controlling the increase in their population, and the impact that they have."

At the request of the Parks & Recreation Committee, the town will consider installing a pig-proofing fence around Rossotti's soccer field when it is renovated next spring.