A special breed of hybrid super pigs from Canada has begun traveling to the northern United States. pigs pose a threat to native wildlife and can be difficult to eradicate. The prevalence of pigs has only increased in recent years. A hybrid breed of super pig - a mix of domestic pig and wild boar - is released in Canada. And now they're targeting the United States.
Originally bred to help farm hogs grow and tolerate cold temperatures in Canada, a market decline about two decades ago prompted some farmers to release their hybrid hogs into the wild. Now they work very loosely, according to Field and Stream. The super pigs are heading south, perhaps to Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan.
Problem?
The Super Pigs prove difficult to take out. The reality that they are able to live on in such chilly weather is one of the largest surprises of this problem," said Ryan Brook, director of the Canadian Wild Boar Research Project at the University of Saskatchewan. The frost hardness of the hybrid pigs allows them to survive well. This means that other native species do not. Bach explains: “Boars eat everything. In spring they eat tons of goslings and chicks. You can hunt white-tailed deer, even an adult. At first, it was like, "Wow, that's something we can track down. But it has become clear that they threaten our white-tailed deer, elk, and most importantly, waterfowl. Not to mention crop damage.
The disadvantages outweigh the advantages that the wild boar can have as a huntable species. Superpigs have already crossed the international border and dived into at least North Dakota. So expect an even bigger phenomenon as the hybrid population is only growing. As in public transport, if you see something, say something. The Squeal on Pigs website makes it even easier. Super pigs have become adept at repelling recreational hunters, sometimes with whole probes (a term for a group of pigs usually led by adult sows) spending the night to evade the hunt. In exceptional instances the pigs will disperse, making them greater tough to locate, or extrude their styles and cross lower back to forests or swamps. The best strategy for reigning in the super pigs has been employing the Judas Pig concept, which straps a GPS collar onto a pig to lead game officials to other pigs. Deception may be our simplest strategy.
