Police kill wild boar after midnight attack on family

A wild boar lies dead after police in Xianyang, Shaanxi province were forced to shoot it after the animal attacked a family in their home. Photo: hsw.cn

The 18-year-old victim of the attack recovers in a local hospital on January 15 for a bite on the right thigh. Photo: hsw.cn

The scene left after a boar rampaged through the home of a family in Donghe village, Xianyang, Shaanxi province on January 12. Photo: hsw.cn

It took police seven shots to kill a wild boar that rushed into a home and attacked a villager in Xianyang, Shaanxi province on January 12.

Area police found the 200-kilogram boar trapped in the home of a Donghe village family where it had rushed in and attacked a young man.

The 18-year-old victim was brought to a local hospital for a bite wound on his right thigh.

Authorities eventually lured the feral pig outside and fired seven times before killing it. "I and two other officers climbed on the roof for a better shot," said Yang Zhanmin, deputy chief of Xunyi county police. "The boar began thrashing around after the first two shots to its head, and we fired five more times to make sure it wouldn't injure anyone," said Yang.

According to Fu Jie, father of the victim, the boar fell into his family's courtyard while scavenging for food on one of the compound roofs at around 1 am on January 12.

"I heard something was running in the yard after a loud 'bang.' As I went out to check, the boar busted our door open. I was so freaked out that I threw a brick at it," said Fu.

After chasing the feral pig back outside, Fu said the pig found its way into another room and attacked his son. The father added his 7-year-old daughter narrowly escaped a potentially fatal bite on the neck thanks to her hooded sweatshirt.

Fu explained he eventually stabbed the pig with a fork, which injured it just long enough for him to trap it inside the room and call police.

According to Dang Qiyu, chief of Xianyang Wild Animal Protection Station, it is common for wild boars to enter villages in or near mountain areas in search for food.