Two elderly victims injured by wild boar at Hong Kong public housing estate

Two elderly people were sent to hospital after being bitten by a wild boar at a public housing estate in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

A 65-year-old woman, who works as a security guard at Fu Shan Estate, was attacked shortly before 7am as she was on her way to the public toilet off Fung Shing Street in the Diamond Hill area. Police said she was bitten on the left elbow and right leg.

“It was as big as a human being. I was rammed and fell to the floor,” the victim said, adding that the animal had tusks.

The pig also ran about 100 metres to attack a 75-year-old man who was doing his morning exercises at a basketball court nearby.

Wong Tai Sin district councillor Wu Chi-kin, who witnessed the incident, said the victim raised his walking stick as the animal ran towards him.

“The elderly man was rammed by the wild pig and fell to the floor before being bitten,” Wu said, adding that the animal ran off when he approached and was last seen running up a hill at Fung Shing Street.

The male victim was treated at United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong, while the security guard was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei.

A police spokeswoman said officers searched the area but were not able to find the pig.

Three wild boars shot with tranquilliser gun after downtown jaunt

In July, the University of Hong Kong issued a warning to students and staff to watch out for wild boars following two attacks by the animals near the campus.

Over the past five years, there have been nine cases in which people were injured by wild pigs, according to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. In most of the incidents, the animals were provoked or chased.

The latest attack happened less than 24 hours after three wild pigs measuring between 80cm and 100cm were spotted wandering around Causeway Bay at about 1pm on Tuesday. The trio were later caught after being shot with a tranquilliser gun on Cloud View Road, North Point. They were released back into the wild on Tuesday evening.

Wild pigs were also spotted in the same neighbourhood on Monday, though it was unclear whether they were the same animals caught on Tuesday. Three were seen outside Fly Dragon Terrace on Tin Hau Temple Road, also in Causeway Bay, at about 7am, but they made off before police arrived.

Sightings of a single boar were reported near Belilios Public House on the same street at 12.20pm and 6.20pm on Monday.

The creatures, which can weigh up to 200kg, are common in Hong Kong, especially in the countryside. But they are secretive and wary of human contact, and can become aggressive if provoked or threatened.

Hong Kong tackles wild pig problem with birth-control scheme

In 2013 the AFCD received 294 complaints about wild pigs across the city. Two years later that number jumped to 518, and there were 738 reports last year. The first half of this year saw 380 reports.

The department said removing food sources was the most effective way to keep boars away from residential areas and public facilities. It warned against attempts to feed them.

The department launched the pilot scheme for a “capture, contraception, relocation and release programme” at the end of last year.