Boars can do that apparently.

I’ve never been a big fan of the ocean; it’s full of water and a whole host of predatory creatures best left to their own devices. And yet despite all this, I could have at least rested assured that a wild boar would never suddenly jump out from its waves and rush me. That is, until last Monday, when a wild boar suddenly jumped out of the ocean near Nagasaki City and rushed a guy… Thanks, ocean.

At around 4 p.m. on 24 February, a man in his 50s was fishing on some rocks when a one-meter-long boar sprung from the water and charged him. Common in rural parts of Japan, wild boars are well-known for their raw power and aggressiveness which can result in serious damage to property and people.

▼ Korea is no stranger to boar attacks either as this news footage shows

So, perhaps more surprising than a boar emerging from the sea is the fact that the 50-year-old fisherman kept his wits about him enough to counter the animal’s charge and wrestle it back into the water, ultimately drowning it.

At the risk of dragging out an old stereotype and getting slammed by fishermen’s rights groups, it’s been said that these guys have a history of telling exaggerated stories. So, it’s understandable to assume the scenario of an upper-middle-aged man subduing a sea-boar, both single- and bare-handedly, may not have actually taken place.

However, there was a witness who saw the fight and notified police. Emergency services raced to the scene, but by the time they arrived the man was waiting and explained, “I defeated it.” Workers removed the lifeless boar from the scene, and took the man away on a stretcher. He reportedly suffered injuries to his legs, but they are not life-threatening.

▼ Location of the fight. The rocks are below the road on the left side.

Readers of the news were equally shocked by the amazing resilience of both the boar to launch a water-based attack and the strength of the fisherman to repel said attack.

“That guy would have become a constellation if this was ancient Greece.”
“Wild boars are truly wild. That guy is amazing.”
“Both creatures in this story are impressive.”
“Wait, what? They come from the sea?”
“That guy’s a monster hunter.”
“Hercules!”
“I don’t understand anything that happened here.”
“Don’t mess with guys from Nagasaki.”
“That old guy is really strong. I hope it doesn’t encourage other people to try and fight boars.”
“The boar came from the ocean?”
“They better put this in the next Yakuza game.”

Although, it might not fit some people’s image of a wild boar, they are fairly good swimmers and have been know to enjoy a dip in the ocean every once in a while. At least, I’m assuming this boar is enjoying itself, what with the background music and all.

It certainly seems like confrontation was unavoidable in this case, but in general, fighting wild boars is highly discouraged. Not only are they very dangerous, but they’re just animals trying to get by like everyone else. The last thing they need is this story to inspire a bunch of wannabe he-men or YouTubers running around picking fights with them.

Source: Nikkan Sports, Hachima Kiko, NBC Nagasaki Hosoku
Top image: Wikipedia/Manfred Brückels
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