Hybrid super pigs, which are a cross featuring a domestic pig plus a wild boar, are out of control in Canada, and the new breed is now making its way to the US.
A decline in demand about 20 years ago prompted some farmers to release their hybrid pigs into the wild. Originally crossbred to aid farmed pigs in growing larger and tolerating the cold temperatures of Canada.
Now that the super pigs are moving south, most likely toward Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Michigan, they are running around wildly.
Huntable Hybrid Super Pigs
The issue is that it is difficult to get rid of the super pigs.
Ryan Brook, leader of the Canadian Wild Pig Research Project at the University of Saskatchewan, said that one of the biggest surprises of this issue is that the breed can endure such a cold climate.
Hybrid Super Pigs. Full editorial rights US.
The hybrid pigs thrive in the cold because of their hardiness. Meanwhile, native species will have a hard time surviving. Brook continues by stating that wild hogs eat anything. They can kill a whitetail deer, even an adult, and in the spring they devour countless numbers of goslings and ducklings.
Originally, it was thought that it could be hunted, but it has since become apparent that they are endangering several other species, most notably waterfowl, and whitetail deer. Not to mention the harm the feral breed is doing to the crops. Despite being a huntable species, wild hogs have more drawbacks than advantages.
Making Its Way Through US
Super pigs have already crossed the international border and at least dipped into North Dakota. As a result, given that the hybrid population is only increasing, people should prepare for an even greater occurrence. The Squeal on Pigs website makes it even simpler for people to report any sightings of the feral hybrid pig, which authorities are urging them to do.
Super pigs have mastered the art of thwarting recreational hunters, occasionally turning nocturnal to avert the hunt in entire sounders. Other times, the sounders will scatter, making them more difficult to find or alter their habits and retreat to wetlands or forests.
According to Brook, using the Judas Pig concept, which involves attaching a GPS collar to a pig to direct game officials to other pigs, has proven to be the most effective method for taming the super pigs so far, Popular Mechanics reports.
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Beating the Cold
Up until now, warm regions like the southeast US, Texas, and California have seen the greatest growth of the invasive species. However, invasive pig populations have recently begun to flourish in Canada and may now be moving into Michigan, North Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota.
Brook claims that one of the ways they survive is by digging tunnels under the snow. The feral hybrids enter a cattail marsh, cut nests in the cattails, and channel into the fluffy snow. On a cold day, people leaving early in the morning can see steam coming out of the tops of the nests.
Although it will be difficult to eradicate the invasive species, recreational hog hunting hasn't shown to be successful because it disperses sounders and makes some pigs nocturnal, making them more difficult to locate and remove. Brook asserts that alerting authorities of any hybrid super pigs sightings is the most crucial action anyone can take, Field and Stream reports.
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