Officials seek for solutions for feral pigs in Hawaii parks

HILO — Hawaii officials are trying to come up with solutions for feral pig problems at some Big Island state parks.

Officials have been working with surrounding land owners and other agencies on finding solutions, said Dean Takabayashi, the Hawaii island superintendent for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of State Park.

While there have been no reports of injuries from aggressive feral pigs in parks, it’s wise to stay away from them, he said. Two parks have signs warning the public not to feed the pigs, he said.

There are pig populations at Rainbow Falls, a popular tourist attraction in Hilo, Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Monday. There are also pigs at other parks including Wailoa River State Recreation Area in Hilo and Akaka Falls State Park in Honomu. There are feral pigs in Lave Tree State Monument, which has been closed to the public because of lava from this year’s Kilauea volcanic eruption.

Pigs sent Dan Brinkman, the east Hawaii region CEO of Hawaii Health Systems Corp., scurrying back to his car during a morning recent visit to Rainbow Falls in Wailuku River State Park. He said the pigs have become a problem and “a danger to the public when they become used to human sources of food and lose their fear of humans.”

Feral pig bites and goring from tusks can cause injuries and infections, he said. Such as injuries are seen “in our ER, most related to hunting, but some that are from unwanted encounters,” he said.

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Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/