Feral Hogs, A Recurring Flagler Scourge, ‘Desecrate’ Cemetery

On August 16, a 70-year-old Bunnell resident wanted to visit his late son’s grave at Craig Flagler Palms Cemetery on Old Kings Road. His son Evan had died three years ago, age 32. August 16 was his birthday. 

The Bunnell resident was shocked by what he found at the cemetery. He described it as “utter desecration.” It was as if someone or something had foraged or plowed through gravesites, overturning grass and reducing swaths of the park to brown clumps. 

It was not “desecration” in the common sense of the term: human beings were not doing this. Wild hogs were. 

It’s been a recurring problem in Palm Coast and Flagler County, and an increasing one, as development continues to diminish habitats. The hogs, which often travel in broods, are tricky to fight off and the damage costly to repair,  exasperating–and at time “terrorizing”–homeowners and businesses, now including the management at Craig Flagler Palms and families who visit the grounds. 

“Over the past few weeks, our cemetery has unfortunately been impacted by wild hogs rooting through the soil in search of food,” Sal Passalaqua Jr., the area manager and funeral director at Craig-Flagler Palms, said in a letter he’s been sharing with people affected. “These animals can be highly destructive, and the damage has understandably raised concerns from families and the community who care deeply about this sacred space. We share those concerns.”

Passalaqua said the sight of the hogs’ trampling has led to misinformation on social media by people unaware of the hog infestation, which can strike indiscriminately. The cemetery is “committed to maintaining our grounds with dignity, respect, and care,” he said, has taken the issue very seriously, and enacted a series of measures in response. 

A licensed trapper has been at the cemetery, baiting the hogs away from the grounds. Cameras are being used to monitor the hogs and facilitate trapping. The cemetery’s crews are “working to restore the affected areas so the cemetery continues to reflect the peace and respect it deserves,” Passalaqua wrote. 

“We know how upsetting it is for families to see this type of damage, and we are being fully transparent about the challenges and the steps we’re taking to address them. This is our community cemetery, and protecting it is a responsibility we do not take lightly,” he said. 

The problem falls outside of Palm Coast’s jurisdiction. Even in Palm Coast, where wild hogs have wrecked many a yard, “The containment and removal of wild hogs is not a service provided by the City of Palm Coast,” a city spokesperson said today, issuing a statement that appeared to have been circulated frequently, in response to residents’ complaints. “The containment and removal of wild hogs is not a service provided by the City of Palm Coast. Our Animal Control Officers are not certified or equipped to trap feral hogs. However, we do offer residents/business owners a list of state-registered trappers and local resources they may contact to help address this type of wildlife nuisance.

The statement continued: “The City and Flagler County have collaborated in the past on this issue, and the County has developed a Feral Hog Activity Dashboard to help track sightings and movements of hogs within the area. In reference to recent concerns near Craig Flagler Palms, this area is county land and the city would not have jurisdiction.”

Craig-Flagler Palms is in the county’s jurisdiction (though the cemetery has a Flagler Beach postal address.) 

Recurring complaints last year led Flagler County government to discuss the problem at the County Commission last year and to set up an online dashboard for people to report hog sightings. The dashboard includes over a dozen reported sightings so far this month–all of them at the Hidden Lakes subdivision off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast. It’s not clear what use the dashboard has been, other than give residents a place to vent. Eric Revuelta, the county’s land manager, did not return a call before this article initially published. 

“The hundreds of thousands of dollars of property damage to Grand Haven residents from feral hogs over recent years has worsened and will continue to unless we find a solution. I do like to believe that we are the superior species here, however,” a Grand Haven resident told the county commissioners during their workshop last year. 

The commission hasn’t discussed the matter since, but even then, resolving or eliminating the problem was not an option, they concluded: feral hogs will continue to roam, forage and destroy property. Containing the problem was the best the county could do. The county’s “management agents” traps scores of hogs every year, often killing the hogs. 

Feral hogs are all over Florida, preferring palm hammocks, freshwater marshes like Graham Swamp and pine flatwoods. “They feed by rooting with their broad snouts, which can disturb the soil and ground cover vegetation, leaving an area looking like a plowed field,” according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.FWC’s wild hog page states. The state agency is very permissive with hog hunting. 

Palm Coast recommends that residents or business owners seeking to have wild hogs trapped and removed contact a trapper licensed by the State of Florida. A searchable list is available through FWC’s website. Residents who live within a homeowner’s association (HOA) or under a property management company are also encouraged to contact their representatives, as efforts to manage the situation may already be underway.

More humane deterrents include red pepper flakes, garlic, and other scent-based products, and may be effective in altering hog behavior over time. Consistent use of these deterrents is necessary, as wild hogs will continue to return to areas where they feel safe and comfortable, and Palm Coast of course markets itself as one of Florida’s safest and most comfortable places.