Q: Hi. I live in West Boca Raton, and one day, I was out walking around Loxahatchee, and a giant wild boar ran across me and almost gave me a heart attack! This thing was about half the size of a small car. I was wondering if this boar was local to Florida or if it could have been from a local farm. Also, out in my area, I see a lot of foxes on occasion. I was wondering if I should worry about attacks on my little brother or my dog or cat, if there are any reports of foxes attacking. Thank you. -- Alex

A: A boar ran across you? Did it leave hoof prints on your body?

Hey, Alex, just joking.

Wild pigs, or boars, aren't native to Florida, although they have been here for hundreds of years. A ranger once told me that the wild pigs are descendants of those let loose or escaped from the early settlers, who brought the pigs with them from the Old World. Many park rangers are trying to take the boars out of natural areas, where they ruin native plants, rooting up the vegetation to look for food. You can see evidence of the boars' rooting in many places in Florida.

Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge does have a lot of farms nearby, however, and while I'm not aware of any pig farms in the area, there's a small chance the one you saw had escaped from someone's yard.

Foxes generally aren't interested in people, like most wildlife. It's possible that they may want to eat any pet food if you leave it outside, which may result in a fight between the fox and your pet. I don't know how old your little brother is, but chances are pretty good that the fox won't bother him. The fox is more likely to hunt birds and squirrels.

If you see a fox in your yard or at a local park, just admire it from a distance. Many foxes have moved into yards, parks and golf courses because they are losing their habitat to people and have nowhere else to go. A member of my family has a family of foxes living under the patio deck.

But there's a greater concern with foxes, especially in your area, and that is rabies, a fatal disease that affects mammals and humans. A rabies outbreak in southern Palm Beach County and northern Broward County has unfortunately resulted in some people and pets being attacked by rabid foxes and raccoons in the past couple of years. (Other Florida counties like Seminole and Pasco have seen several cases of rabies in animals, as well.)

If you see an animal acting strangely or approaching you, get inside and call your local animal control office. Click the rabies link above for more information.

Keep your pets' rabies shots up to date, and make sure someone is always keeping an eye on your little brother when he's outside -- not just because of rabies, but because it's the best thing to do.

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