Morgan Hill

Morgan Hill Residents Worried, Frustrated as Wild Pigs Tear Up Yards

NBC Universal, Inc. Wild pigs are terrorizing some neighborhoods in Morgan Hill. Robert Handa reports.

Wild pigs are terrorizing some neighborhoods in Morgan Hill.

Homeowners are worried and frustrated as their yards get torn up, but they say they can't get any help from agencies that they say caused the problem.

Annette Batey captured video Saturday night showing wild pigs in her neighorbood near Anderson Reservoir.

"I just really couldn’t believe it was happening," she said. "I was afraid to get out of my car."

Batey and other members of the Holiday Lake Association filed damage claims with the Santa Clara Valley Water District, arguing the draining of Anderson Reservoir for seismic retrofitting forced the pigs to look for water and created a pathway to the neighborhoods.

"Valley Water needs to coordinate with [Santa Clara County] Parks and the city of Morgan Hill to put traps on public land to trap and eliminate, to trap and reduce the wild pig population," board member Sean Mulligan said.

The Water District rejected the claims but said it has its staff researching options.

"Our staff is looking at working with other agencies in the area who have more experience with dealing with these wild pigs," water district spokesman Matt Keller said.

The association leaders want the water district and other agencies to move quickly. They say they want to protect a lower meadow – the neighborhood’s designated open space and the evacuation site in case of a wildfire – an area that the pigs have not discovered, at least not yet.

"We hear them rooting around at night," Batey said. "It’s really scary."

Exit mobile version