SPPG Worker in Kuningan Sacrifices Himself to Prevent Wild Boar from Charging Children

A man who is also a volunteer with the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) in Subang District, Kuningan Regency, West Java, sacrificed himself to prevent a wild boar that had descended into a residential area from charging at children.

The incident was captured on amateur camera and went viral on social media. In the viral video footage, a man can be seen restraining the boar to prevent it from escaping. According to detikJabar, the incident occurred on Sunday (3/8) at around 11.30 WIB.

The man who restrained the boar was Anasikin, also known as Anas (28), a resident of Subang Village who also works at the local SPPG.

Anas said that at the time he was at home and heard a sound like a motorcycle crash, so he immediately went outside. He saw his older sister being chased by a wild boar, and the animal was running towards an area where children were. Anas immediately took the initiative to stop the boar’s advance.

“Initially the boar was being hunted in the forest, it ran into the village, then hit a motorcycle. People thought it was an accident, because when it hit the motorcycle there was a sound of ‘Oh God, help’. My sister intended to help, worried that the person who fell from the motorcycle was seriously hurt, but it turned out to be a boar. It immediately started chasing her. Seeing my sister being chased by the boar, I immediately stopped the boar, because if I hadn’t stopped it, my sister would have been the one hit, and there were also children around, because it happened right in front of the house,” Anas said on Tuesday (4/8), as quoted by detikJabar.

Anas then fell to the ground while trying to restrain the boar. He said that before falling, he had held the wild animal for about 10 to 15 minutes until residents arrived. He was only able to break free from the ‘struggle’ with the wild boar when residents began arriving and stabbed the animal with spears.

Anas said his leg was struck by the boar’s tusk. He was forced to take leave from his work at the SPPG in Subang.

“As for the wounds, there are three points where the injuries can be said to be quite serious, but the health workers said it’s fine and doesn’t need stitches. I just haven’t been injected yet, because the boar has to be alive for samples to be taken, they said, but because the boar is no longer there, I haven’t been injected until now. They said it has been submitted to the central office and when the injection medicine is available they will contact me immediately. I work as an MBG volunteer in my village. I will probably need at least a week off work,” Anas said.

Anas admitted that he carried out the reckless act because he wanted to protect his sister and the children around his house from being charged by the boar.

“If my sister or the children had been hit, it would definitely have been worse than what happened to me. My hope is that in the future there will be no other victims like me. I hope it stops with me, and there are no more victims,” Anas said.

Meanwhile, the Head of Economic and Development Affairs for Subang Village, Sujana, said he was grateful that Anas did not sustain more serious injuries after trying to restrain the wild boar.

“Yes (he is an MBG volunteer). Alhamdulillah, after visiting him earlier, he still has difficulty walking because there is a wound on the sole of his foot, so when pressure is applied it hurts, he said. Fortunately, it didn’t need stitches,” Sujana said.

BKSDA Explanation

For information, the incident of wild boars entering residential areas has not only occurred recently in Kuningan. A similar incident also occurred in Gunung Halu District, West Bandung Regency.

The West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) has spoken out.

“There are many contributing factors, including water sources, or the large number of illegal hunters entering the nearest forest,” said West Java BBKSDA Public Relations officer Ery Mildrayana on Tuesday, as quoted by detikJabar.

According to him, human activity in the forest also disturbs the presence of wild boars, or the boars may be looking for new roaming areas.

In addition, human-wildlife conflict has the potential to occur as long as forest areas are adjacent to residential areas.

“As long as it is close to the forest, it is possible. Wild animals by nature must move and live in groups. They also have roaming territories, and can be separated from their group or searching for their group. But that is only a conjecture based on the character or habits of wild animals,” he explained.

“To confirm this, among other things, it is necessary to look at the existence of the forest nearest to the village,” Ery added.