NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, Thailand – A farmer heard his cow scream at 9pm, grabbed a torch, and came face to face with a giant wild boar. The beast had ripped open the cow’s belly, spilling its guts onto the ground.
Somphop Sommai shouted at the animal. It fled into the forest. The cow died the next morning.
Cow attacked in the night
The boar struck on the night of August 6 behind Somphop’s house in Nam Tok subdistrict, Thung Song district. It bit one cow’s stomach open, leaving intestines hanging out.
A second cow suffered a leg injury but survived. The badly wounded cow breathed weakly by morning and finally died on the morning of August 7.
Farmer describes the beast
Somphop is certain what he saw: a huge wild boar.
Anyone who had not seen it with their own eyes would guess it was a tiger or a bear. The animal was enormous and looked threatening.
said Somphop Sommai, cow owner.
Tiger alarm turns out to be boar
The next morning, district chief Somkid Kalsuwan arrived with police, admin staff, and wildlife trackers. Indochinese tigers and black panthers live in the area — villagers were terrified.
But a close examination of the paw prints confirmed: no big predator. The tracks belong to a Moo Thok — the southern Thai word for a wild boar.
This means an older male boar that has left its herd. Such animals can weigh over 150 kilograms, have powerful tusks, and grow more aggressive with age. They eat plants, carrion, and livestock if they get too close.
Forest draws wildlife
Nam Tok borders a dense, species-rich forest. Villagers do not hunt there and never attack wild animals — a policy that keeps the forest alive but does not prevent human-wildlife conflict.
Wild deer regularly roam through the village. Residents say the deer density is higher here than anywhere else in Thailand. Where deer go, predators follow sooner or later.
District chief Kalsuwan announced further observation of the area. No cameras or traps have been set up yet. Whether the wild boar remains nearby is still unknown.