A wild boar is not a creature you’d expect to see around the city, much less as someone’s pet. And yet, that’s exactly what happened in South Korea. A few years ago, a 70-year-old man in Haeundae-gu, Busan, got a boar with the purpose of cooking it. However, after realizing the animal could understand him, the pair developed a unique bond. And so, what was bound to become a meal became a beloved and unexpected pet.
The story of the senior and the wild boar was documented in 2005 by the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS). The animal, named Kkulkkuli, turned heads when he was out and about in the city with his human. Although they mostly walked around side by side, the man often rode on the wild boar’s back—likely a welcome aid given his advanced age. Still, their urban adventures weren’t completely smooth, as the boar was seen almost stealing a rice cake from a vendor and trying his best to cross an overpass.
Otherwise, the routine shared by the man and his pet boar appeared very laid back. Kkulkkuli would wake him up every day by sliding his window open. Then, the animal would ask for his favorite meal (a big bowl of rice) before going on daily hikes around a nearby mountain, giving him a chance to play in the dirt and grass. Kkulkkuli’s cheerful and loyal demeanor earned him comparisons to a pet dog, despite his size.
At about 660 pounds and over six feet long, the man and his family had to adapt their home to make it safe for Kkulkkuli. While the wild boar slept in a pen, sometimes Kkulkkuli went inside for a meal and some rubs from his human. Among the steps taken to ensure everyone’s safety was gluing some containers to the floor and rearranging furniture to keep it out of the boar’s path.
Sadly, it was reported that the boar passed away after a drunken man fed it a plastic bag with fruit. Still, the story of the Kkulkkuli and his owner warmed hearts around their native South Korea and beyond, becoming a poignant tale of an unlikely friendship that still resounds today. “You are like my son, and I’m taking you as my only son in my lifetime,” the man tells the boar in KBS’s story on the pair.
You can watch the original news segment with English subtitles below.
A 70-year-old man from South Korea got a boar for the purpose of cooking it. However, what was bound to become a meal became a beloved and unexpected pet.
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