Aggressive pigs becoming a nuisance at some state parks

A visit to Hawaii Island’s state parks provides a close encounter with nature — sometimes, a bit too close for comfort.

When two Hilo Medical Center employees, including its chief executive officer, visited Rainbow Falls in Wailuku River State Park on Wednesday morning prior to work, they found themselves scurrying back to their cars to avoid an aggressive feral pig.

“I go there every morning before I go to work,” said Michelle, a HMC technician who asked that her last name not be used. Michelle said when she arrived on Wednesday, her boss, Dan Brinkman, the East Hawaii region CEO of Hawaii Health Systems Corp., was there, as was a feral pig Michelle said had become too accustomed to being fed by people.

“The pig was going either for the garbage or for Dan,” she said. “I made noise to let Dan know and try to startle the pig, but the pig didn’t startle. So I got out of my car and was waving a piece of paper, trying to get it to go. And it just ran at me. And it did it three times, so I kept running back to my car.”

Read more: https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2018/12/03/hawaii-news/aggressive-pigs-becoming-a-nuisance-at-some-state-parks/