A mass of Canadian’ super pigs’ are threatening to breach the U.S. border. This population of “super pigs” consists of crossbreeds that combine the survival skills of wild Eurasian boar with the size and high fertility of domestic swine, according to the Associated Press.
These super pigs have appeared in Canada’s Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. However, officials worry they’ll soon spill over to the United States.
While this remains a threat, northern states are implementing tactics to stop this wild hog invasion. Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana are already taking measures to prevent an invasion of the “super pig.”
Since their introduction to North America in the 1500s, the feral swine population has expanded across more than three-quarters of the country.
According to the Department of Agriculture, their population has grown to more than 9 million. Consequently, the wild animal has expanded westward and northward, with states like California, Hawaii, and Michigan reporting a relatively large feral hog population.
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According to the University of Saskatchewan, the ‘super pigs’ have been destroying crops and degrading water quality. However, these measures cannot stop these feral hogs as they can breed excessively and continue to multiply in their masses.
“Wild pigs are ecological train wrecks. They are prolific breeders, making them an extremely successful invasive species,” said Ruth Aschim, a PhD student from the university who led research on the super pig species.
In addition, the researchers called the mutant wild pigs “the most prolific invasive mammal in Canada.” According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, feral hogs cause approximately $2.5 billion in yearly agricultural damages.
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Besides being “ecological train wrecks,” the super pigs are challenging to eradicate. They are intelligent and adaptable, making them very good at surviving brutal winters in Canada. Officials also say they will eat anything, including wildlife and crops, for survival. In addition, they spread diseases like African swine fever to hog farms. They also tear up land easily, and they reproduce quickly.
In some states, total elimination of feral hogs is the end goal for conservationists. The Missouri Feral Hog Elimination Partnership killed 9,857 wild hogs in 2021. Consequently, the number of dead hogs since 2016 has risen to more than 54,000.
Public hunting is one of wild hogs’ most popular mitigation tactics and has become an everyday recreational activity. However, hogs often relocate in response to the pressures of hunting. Fencing and trapping can be more effective in mitigating wild hog populations but require more upkeep and investment, according to Captain Experiences.
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Ryan Brook, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan, told the Associated Press that even when hunters kill 65% or more of a wild pig population every year, the population will still increase.
He also said the success rate for hunters is only about 2% to 3%. “The only path forward is you have to be aggressive, and you have to use all the tools in the toolbox,” said Brook.
According to data from the University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, Florida, Georgia, and Texas have the most feral hog reports in the U.S.
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