Differences Between Wild Boar & Pigs

The term "wild boar" refers to a feral pig that lives in the wild. From a biological perspective, feral pigs and farm pigs are members of the same domesticated species. However, the two are physically distinct and also differ in their impact on the environment and their use of their habitat. Many states allow and even encourage the hunting of wild boar.

  1. Environmental Impact

    • Feral pigs are considered an environmental nuisance, and most states condone and encourage the hunting of feral pigs to control the population and protect the environment. The pigs damage the environment by digging for food -- thereby destroying native plants -- and polluting waterways by wallowing to cool off. Many states do not require a hunting permit in order to bag feral pigs, as they are considered a pest.

    Meat

    • Wild boars are intelligent, aggressive and difficult to kill, though their meat is suitable for human consumption and even considered by some to be superior to farm-raised pork. However, wild boar is less likely to have a high yield of meat than a farm-raised pig due to a more natural and varied diet that has not been selected and fortified for meat growth.

    Hybrids

    • Wild boars have been known to mate with domesticated pigs that have escaped, thus creating new hybrids. From time to time, hunters report and photograph hybrid pigs that have reach 1,000 lbs. or more in weight, including a highly publicized "Hogzilla" that was an Internet sensation in 2004. These claims have not been properly verified, but the existence of wild boar hybrids with larger farm pigs is documented.

    Population

    • The feral pig population is estimated to be about 4 million in the United States, though by definition there are no complete records of every wild hog in North America. Nearly half the estimated feral pig population lives in the area of Eastern Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. By contrast, the number of farm-raised pigs in the United States is about 60 million.

    Physical Differences

    • Wild boars have tusks, which are typically removed from domesticated pigs. Most feral pigs are also descendants of escaped pigs from hundreds of years ago, and thus appear to be a distinct species with coarser hair and a longer snout. This is due to a lack of sanitary upkeep, as well as a gradual shift in breeding over the centuries that has led to different strains of domestic pig.