The Monster Hog of Orangeburg

In the late summer of 1898, terror gripped the quiet town of Orangeburg, South Carolina, after a horrifying and brutal attack by an unexpected predator. What started as a peaceful day for one family turned into a nightmare when a large and vicious hog, known locally for its unusual behavior, struck in a way no one could have anticipated.

A woman living just outside of Orangeburg had briefly left her young baby in the yard while she attended to something inside her home. Only moments later, she returned to a scene of unimaginable horror. A massive hog had run from the nearby woods and attacked the defenseless child. Despite the mother’s immediate intervention, the child was already horribly mutilated and died just minutes after the attack. The hog, already infamous for raiding chicken coops, had never before been known to harm a human, let alone attack a child. The community was shocked and horrified by the incident, left to wonder what could drive the beast to such savagery.

Just weeks later, the terror spread to Lancaster, where local farmer William Mackey encountered the same monstrous beast. Early one morning, Mackey was startled by a loud commotion coming from his pigpen. As he rushed outside, he found a massive wild hog attacking one of his pigs. The scene quickly turned even more violent when the wild hog, instead of fleeing, turned on Mackey with a viciousness rarely seen. The beast charged at him, delivering deep, serious gashes to his leg, injuries that later required stitches. Mackey barely escaped with his life, but the wild hog slaughtered his pig in the process.

Both attacks stunned the state of South Carolina, leaving residents fearful of what else might happen if the beast continued to roam unchecked. Hogs had long been a part of rural life, but never before had they been seen as a threat to human life. What caused this particular hog to behave so monstrously remains a mystery. To this day, the Monster Hog of Orangeburg is remembered as one of the most terrifying and violent tales in the region’s history.