Wild boars escaped North Carolina ranch in 1912; Smokies still battles them
European wild boars that escaped a private hunting estate in 1912 have become an invasive species causing significant ecological damage in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Park officials continue to struggle with managing the population and the resulting soil erosion.
Why it matters
The story illustrates the long-term, unintended environmental consequences of introducing non-native species into protected wilderness areas.
A shipment of European wild boars brought to a North Carolina hunting estate more than a century ago continues to cause serious ecological problems inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Park officials remove about 275 wild hogs every year to limit damage to fragile mountain habitats, according to data from the National Park Service’s species guide for the park. The animals trace their roots to 1912, when 13 wild boars arrived at a private 1,600 acre game preserve on Hooper Bald in Graham County, North Carolina. The preserve was created by George Gordon Moore, an adviser to English investors who owned local timber lands. The imported boars were kept alongside buffalo, elk, bears and thousands of game birds inside a fenced enclosure. However, the animals soon proved difficult to contain.
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