Livermore Winery Owners' Yard Reportedly Destroyed By Wild Pigs

LIVERMORE, CA -- The co-owners of Cedar Mountain Winery say their yard was recently ripped up by wild pigs.

Linda and Earl Ault, who have lived a home behind the winery they own, told TV station KRON that feral hogs have been taking chunks of grass out of their lawn for about a week, and that they think they know the reason why.

The Aults say the damage is a direct result of the drought and that the desperate pigs are simply looking for food. So far, they've caused about $30,000 worth of damage, Linda Ault told the station.

Earl Ault said this is the first time this has happened in the eight years that they've lived in the house. The winery itself and surrounding vineyards have been mostly untouched, they said, but the pigs keep attacking the grass.

Linda has a spread of mix of chili and fish oil infused cheerios along the landscaping to repel the pigs, and the couple has also said that they're working with the state Department of Fish and Wildfire to file a wildlife incident report. If they're granted a depredation permit, they could possibly hire trappers to kill the animals, they say.

While Linda reporting seeing five hogs in the backyard once, she said that a neighbor has seen as many as 22 pigs in the area, KRON reports.