EPISODE 1096: memorial ; THE PECCARY ATTACK IN 1945: MEMORY OF ERIC SKEOCH (and Icing on the cake)
ALAN skeoch
August 16, 2024
On August 4, 2024, my brother Eric died of lung cancer. We were
very close never really angry with each other except when I stole the
icing from a piece of cake in our tiny home kitchen
Stealing the icing took a little planning such making sure I could make
a clean getaway with the icing through the stairway door to the
backyard. All seemed ready. Grabbed the neatly scalped icing top
of the cake and hot footed it to the stairway door.
I did not escape. The door was locked. Eric had a plan. He had locked the door.
No escape. And he grabbed the icing back. One punch. The punch did not hurt because
he was laughing too much
We laughed a lot together…all four of us. Mom, Dad, Eric and me…
three children with mom as leader. Dad was the third kid. Why? Because he had a habit of getting into
trouble. He called mom “Methusala”, shortened to “Methoos”, Eric asked dad why.
“Because she is older than me…Methusala is the oldest person in the Bible. He only called her Elsie
in times of crisis. “Elsie, could you lend me $20 for a new shirt” which was a lie. The horses
were running at Dufferin Park.
“Boys, your job today is to gather up discarded tickets under the ring at Dufferin.’
“Why?”
“Some damn fool may drop a good one…bring them to me.”
“Don’t pick any wth spit or tobacco juice on them.”
So many rich memories of our lives together….as if Eric and I were twins.
THE DAY WE WERE ATTACKED BY SQUADRON OF PECCARIES
PECARRY INCIDENT
.
Take the Pecary incidet IN 1945 at High Park…or was it 1946…no matter.
The park was a wilderness back then. Less Maintenance in the war years.
I was seven, Eric was 5 or 6. mom had asked dad to take us over to High Park.
a huge chunk of land deeded to the City of Toronto
Four hundred acres,,,a zoo in the middle of the park … pens rising from the road
to the top of a valley. Lots of animals back then. The zoo still exists today
bu far fewer animals. Perhaps the drop in enclosed animals was
caused by “The Peccary Incident”
“Dad, where are all the wild pigs?
“Probably hiding in the barn just to get away from you two “
“They are not here.”
“Then they must be at the top of the hill…hiding. Wild pigs
live in herds. Where their leader goes the rest follow…so they
must all be hiding under the trees at the top “
“Then we won’t see them.”
“Follow me Boys…I know were those little pigs are hiding….
”
So we back tracked and climbed up behind the caged fence
“There they are…the whole squadron, must be 20 or 30 of them.”
“Dad, look here, the pigs have dug a big hole under the fence.”
“The creatures can get out !”
“GET OUT…hey are not pigs…called peccaries…wild and can be vicious…teeth
as sharp as razer blades.”
“Dad .. they are coming towards us…squealing.”
“Run Alan, I’ll grab Eric under my arm and try to kick the pigs…Run like hell, Alan”
By this time the whole squadron or peccaries were under the fence and
chasing us. I ran but glanced back. impossible for me to ever forget the sight.
Dad kicking at the peccaries, swearing, running…with Eric under his arm
and 20 or 30 peccaries at Dad’s heels. I was scared and I think dad
was scared. Eric was safe in his arms but he dare not put him
down or these wild pigs might get him. Suppose Dad fell…would the wild
pigs eat Dad and Eric? I thought so and ran faster. Dad was yelling obscenities at
the peccaries. Trying to surround him.
We escaped. No memory of the peccaries beyond running and yelling.
I think the park rangers rounded up the peccaries and herded
them back to the fence. There is no record of the peccaries living in
the High Park zoo. What happened to them?
Does anyone remember the High Park peccaries? What happened to them?
Were they moved to the Toronto zoo? Was anyone else chased by a squadron
of High Park peccaries in the 1940’s? We cannot be the only victims.
PECCARIES
FACTS:
1) PECCARIES are territorial and are only dangerous if humans enter their territory
as we did in 1945
2) Peccaries come in three kinds … recently a fourth kind was discovered in the brazilian
jungle….a giant peccary about the size of an adult pig.
3) Peccary population has mysterious;u plummetted … perhaps this is a natural
response to overpopulation but no one knows exactly why.
4) Peccaries are wild creatures. They do not make good pets.
5) Peccaries carry diseases.which makes a peccary bite very dangerous to humans
(i.e. rabies)
Peccaries (also javelinas or skunk pigs) are pig-like ungulates of the family Tayassuidae(New World pigs). They are found throughout Central and South America, Trinidad in the Caribbean, and in the southwestern area of North America. Peccaries usually measure between 90 and 130 cm (2 ft 11 in and 4 ft 3 in) in length, and a full-grown adult usually weighs about 20 to 40 kg (44 to 88 lb). They represent the closest relatives of the family Suidae, which contains pigs and relatives. Together Tayassuidae and Suidae are grouped in the suborder Suina within the order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates).
Peccaries are social creatures that live in herds. They are omnivores and eat roots, grubs, and a variety of other foods. They can identify each other by their strong odors. A group of peccaries that travel and live together is called a squadron. A squadron of peccaries averages between six and nine members.[1]
Peccaries first appeared in North America during the Miocene and migrated into South America during the Pliocene–Pleistocene as part of the Great American Interchange.
They are often confused[2] with feral domestic pigs, commonly known as “razorback” hogs in many parts of the United States,[3] when the two occur in the wild in similar ranges.
The Maya kept herds of peccaries, using them in rituals and for food.[4] They are kept as pets in many countries in addition to being raised on farms as a source of food.[5]
