November 22nd 2023.
The hard-to-eradicate population of feral swine have been called "the most invasive animal on the planet". These wild "super pigs" have been multiplying rapidly in Canada and are now threatening to cross the border into the US.
Crossbreeds of wild Eurasian boar and domestic swine, these furry pigs are adept at surviving in the wild. They have a very high fertility rate and can survive even in the brutal Canadian winters. Not only that, they can carry African swine fever and eat both wildlife and crops.
University of Saskatchewan professor Ryan Brook has said that these pigs are an "ecological train wreck". He believes that it is only a matter of time before these pigs will cross the Canadian-American border. He said, "Nobody should be surprised when pigs start walking across that border if they haven’t already. The question is: What will be done about it?"
These pigs are difficult to eradicate because each sow can have six piglets per litter and two litters every year. Even if more than 65% of the population is killed off annually, their numbers still grow. Hunting them exacerbates the problem further as they become more nocturnal and harder to track. In Canada, Professor Brook has documented 62,000 sightings, showing the extent of their population growth.
To prevent their invasion and takeover in the US, states must detect the swine early and act fast. The US Department of Agriculture is currently using drones and aircraft to monitor the American-Canadian border for signs of the swine. In 2016, the department successfully killed off a group of pigs that had escaped from a farm in Minnesota and had become feral.
Feral pigs cause an estimated $2.5 billion in damage to American crops annually and have even attacked humans in some cases, including a fatal incident with a Texas woman in 2019. They have been reported in at least 35 states and have a combined population of roughly six million.
The USDA launched the National Feral Swine Management Program in 2014 and has provided funds to 33 states to try to eradicate the wild swine. It has had some success with small feral pig populations in certain states, however, Mike Marlow, the assistant director, believes that "eradication is not in the near future".
Americans need to be aggressive and use all the tools at their disposal in order to protect the US from these swine, said Professor Brook. He believes that it is important to act fast in order to avoid a potential ecological disaster.
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