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Wild boars on the prowl for mates are wreaking havoc, destroying yards in Florida

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — Coronavirus. A Saharan dust cloud. "Murder hornets."

As the nation grapples with the many challenges of 2020, some Floridians are facing yet another problem: aggressive wild boars.

According to WBBH-TV, the invasive animals, which are on the prowl for mates this time of year, have been destroying Lehigh Acres residents' lawns, leaving homeowners with hundreds of dollars – or more – in repair bills.

"They'll take somebody's manicured yard and just dig big holes in it everywhere," trapper Mike Robberson said, adding that the boars cause the damage while looking for grubs.

Earlier this year, one resident told WINK-TV that seeing the recurring destruction is "like torture every day."

"You have to come out and break your back with a mess every day, every night," Jeff Emerson told the station in January.

Florida considers boars to be "nuisance wildlife," meaning that they cause damage, annoy residents or threaten people's safety, the Miami Herald reported. The animals, which have been spotted in every Florida county, "may be trapped and hunted year-round with landowner permission," according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's website.

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