Feral hogs causing headaches for some people living in northeast Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) — There's something destroying parks and yards in northeast Austin, and neighbors said it is not the first time they have had to deal with the issue.

"There is that area over there that is torn up and this over here," said Grace Howell, who lives near Walnut Creek in northeast Austin.

Feral hogs were spotted in the area, and now neighbors are concerned.

"The feral hogs are terrible," said Catherine McMullen, who has seen the destruction they leave behind.

"They will take a yard like this and they will destroy it in a single night," McMullen said.

"They destroyed the park and they started going down the streets at night and getting into people's yards and digging up all the grass," Howell said.

McMullen said their Homeowners Association hired a company to remove the hogs about two years ago, but now they are popping up again.

"They trapped 17 hogs and the male was the last one they caught and he was huge," McMullen said.

Jacob Hetzel is a Texas A&M AgriLife wildlife biologist and said feral hogs can be a nuisance.

"Feral hogs are very adaptive, and there is enough green space in Austin that they are able to make a living there," Hetzel said.

Hetzel said feral hogs breed fast, and their numbers can grow quickly.

"Typically what we see is they have three litters in a two year period," Hetzel said.

Hetzel said there are private companies that trap and remove the hogs, so that is an option for people concerned about them being in their neighborhood.