With my feet dangling over a cliff-face, I laid back on the grassy knoll, closed my eyes and breathed in the fresh air blowing in off the ocean. After a minute or two, I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was a fairly large, dark-skinned boar chewing on some grass not more than 10 feet away from me. I was immediately filled with several different emotions. Initially, the fantastic side of my mind told me I had somehow entered another world on another dimension, but that thought was quickly squashed after a glance around the park revealed several other regular people milling about. My next feeling was fear. I was in danger of being ferociously gored by a wild boar squatting just a few yards away from me. Then, I spotted a man not too far away who seemed to be casually keeping an eye on the 150-pound pig. I deduced the man to be the owner. As it turned out, the porker was one of the most docile and unassuming creatures I have encountered. He didn’t really seem to notice the people in the park, who were quite interested in his presence. He just kept on munching away at the grass without a care in the world. My first pig sighting in Pacific Beach got me thinking about some other unexpected pets I’ve spotted along the boardwalk over the past couple weeks. There was a young man who sported a massive python around his neck and another gentleman with a brilliant pinkish cockatoo. I also witnessed a young lady riding by on her bike with a small bird on her shoulder. The tiny bird looked quite content with the free ride. Then a dog barked at it. People traditionally come to the beach for fun, sun and the sea. Now they can add a new reason to visit — to go on safari.