Hogzilla (a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsGodzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produ ...

'') was a male hybrid of

wild hog The feral pig is a domestic pig which has gone feral, meaning it lives in the wild. They are found mostly in the Americas and Australia. Razorback and wild hog are Americanisms applied to feral pigs or boar-pig hybrids. Definition A feral p ...

and

domestic pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Su ...

that was shot and killed by Chris Griffin in

Alapaha, Georgia Alapaha is a town in Berrien County, Georgia, United States, along the Alapaha River. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 481. Alapaha developed from a trade settlement on the site of a Seminole village with the same name. The p ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, on June 17, 2004, on Ken Holyoak's fish farm and hunting reserve. It was alleged to be long and weighed over . It was originally widely considered a hoax. The animal's remains were

exhume Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

d in early 2005 and studied by forensic scientists for a documentary for the

National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by the National Geographic Global Networks unit of Disney General ...

. In March 2005, these scientists confirmed that Hogzilla actually weighed and was between and long, diminishing the previous claim.

DNA testing Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, ...

was performed, revealing that Hogzilla was a hybrid of wild boar and domestic pig ( Hampshire breed). However, compared to most wild boars and domestics, Hogzilla was still an unusually large specimen. Hogzilla's

tusk Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with pigs and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share ...

s measured nearly and .

References

{{Reflist 2004 animal deaths Berrien County, Georgia Deaths by firearm in Georgia (U.S. state) Individual animals in the United States Individual pigs Mammal hybrids

See also

References