Pigs gone wild: Boars seen tearing up landscaping in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A group of wild pigs has caused significant damage to landscaping at a South San Jose business park, where employees say the animals have torn up grass while searching for food.

Video captured along Hellyer Drive showed a sounder of wild pigs digging through grassy areas and damaging portions of a business park's landscaping.

Employees said the destruction occurred over just a few days.

"It was all a good patch of green grass we used to enjoy in the break time, but now it's all messy," Bhawani Shankar said.

"I think they're digging for grubs, big insects. And they really, really did a number here," said Guy Clark.

MORE: Pesky wild pig problem in SJ leads city to allow trappers to hunt using bow and arrows

Social media videos have also documented the pigs in the area.

On Monday, roughly a dozen pigs, including two older mothers and several piglets, were seen foraging in a parking lot at Power Integrations.

Employees said sightings of wildlife are not uncommon, but the pigs have been an unusual presence.

"We do see, wild turkeys once in a while - but this is something new. I thought someone might have deliberately left them to take care of the grass. And this is the first time we see wildlife damaging the property," Shankar said.

Workers at the business park said they have noticed the animals only within the last few days, but that the pigs have caused substantial damage in a short period of time.

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People who work in buildings along Hellyer say that they've only noticed the pigs over the last couple days, but in just a short amount of time, they've done quite a bit of damage.

The latest sightings are not the first in the area, according to Guy Clark, who recalled seeing wild pigs there previously.

"It was over in the corner, over there. And, I said, 'that's unusual'. And, so I had on my phone, put it on telephoto and started walking, getting up close to them, but not too close," Clark said.

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Wild pigs have been a recurring issue in San Jose. In 2020, the city passed a temporary ordinance allowing licensed trappers to kill the animals with a bow or crossbow.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has jurisdiction over wild pigs and said damage reports increase this time of year as food becomes more scarce.

The department said property owners can hire trappers if necessary.

For now, employees at the South San Jose business park say the pigs remain an unwelcome nuisance as they continue to damage the property.