ENCOUNTER WITH WILD BOAR

Otago Witness, Issue 3514, 19 July 1921, Page 22

ENCOUNTER WITH WILD BOAR

Messrs Harry and Graham Scott, of YVaikari, had an unusual and distinctly exciting experience while on their way to Mount Virginia run on Tuesday (says the Christchurch Press). On reaching (lie boundary gate, an old and very largo wild boar emerged from the tussocks just through the fence, and instead of rushing away as nearly all wild pigs invariably do when the course is clear and they are not pursued, slowly approached the visitors, who had neither clogs nor firearms. The situation became far from pleasant, as the horses had become frantic through fear, and the Messrs Scott, being unable safely to turn the wagonette the road at this part being on a hillside—had to hurriedly detach the horses from the vehicle and beat, a retreat. Finding that neither their presence nor their shouting would induce the pugnacious brute to leave the vicinity of the gateway, Mr Graham Scott, by making a detour, rode to the homestead, which was about a mile distant, for dogs and a butcher’s knife. On his return he found that the boar had pursued his brother quite a considerable distance back. The dogs now came on the scene, when the pig instantly turned at bay. Amongst their number was a purebred bulldog, who at once sprang for an ear, but, missing his mark, was tossed fully ten yards down the hillside. He, however, luckily escaped a tusk thrust, and immediately returned to the attack, and this time secured an ear, which he held with characteristic tenacity until Mr Harry Scott came up and quickly despatched the hoar with a knife, thus terminating a most interesting “holdup,” and removing from the public road a formidable and dangerous animal. The Messrs Scott, who have done much pighunting, affirm that they have never before known a wild boar to be so obdurately combative without provocation as this one was.