A teeming population of invasive “super pigs” is threatening to cross from Canada into the U.S., according to several reports.
The feral “super pigs”, roaming the Canadian border provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, often are crossbreeds resulting from unions between wild Eurasian boars known for their hardiness and domestic pigs bred for their size and fecundity, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Highly adaptive and omnivorous, originally native to Eurasia and North Africa, feral pigs are the most abundant wild mammals on earth, University of Saskatchewan scholars Ruth Aschim and Ryan Brook said in a study. They also are “an ecological train wreck” as they can cause extensive crop damage and soil erosion, pollute rivers, decimate small animal populations because of their voracious appetites, and transmit a raft of veterinary diseases to livestock, the study noted.
U.S. border states such as Montana and Minnesota reportedly are taking steps to prevent the invasion. State agencies in Minnesota are conducting a review of proactive measures to prevent an established feral pig population which will be presented to the State Legislature in Feb. 2024, per the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Montana banned feral pigs from the state, imposed a fine of $10,000 per violation and defrayment of cost accrued while eradicating the pigs, and encouraged residents to “squeal on pigs” if they make any sighting, the Montana Invasive Species Council noted. (RELATED: Family Repeatedly Attacked By Insane, Horny Animal)
U.S. states take action as wild “super pigs” in Canada threaten to spread across border https://t.co/XSqSl1Vsqy
— Axios (@axios) November 23, 2023
Feral pigs, reportedly the fourth most intelligent animals, could also be aggressive and are reportedly unpredictable by nature. Christine Rollins, 59, was killed early morning Nov. 24, 2019 by wild pigs in a rare attack as she stepped out of her vehicle to walk into the home where she worked as a caretaker in Anahuac, Texas, per AP. Feral pigs also cause $2.5 billion in damage annually across Texas and other southern U.S. states, where at least about six million of them still roam despite eradication efforts, AP noted.
More feral pigs have been sighted so far in 2023 in Texas (2,425) than in any other U.S. state, with Georgia (1,377) coming second, Axios reported.