According to an interview with a wildlife expert on Fox News Digital, a cross-bred “super pig” from Canada is a serious threat to the environment in the United States and requires immediate and aggressive action.
Dr. Ryan Brook, an assistant professor at the University of Saskatchewan, describes these pigs as “easily the worst invasive large mammal on the planet.”
The pigs are a hybrid of a European wild boar and a domestic pig and have caused crop damage, destroyed natural environments, disrupted cities, compromised water quality, and spread diseases to humans, livestock, pets, and native wildlife.
The pigs are migrating south into the US as their population swells in Canada. Left unchecked, they could negatively impact anyone who consumes meat, vegetables, or grain crops, or spends time outside for any reason.
The “super pigs” pose a significant threat due to two reasons: they lack natural predators, and they are scientifically well-equipped to survive in harsh conditions.
The first European wild boars were imported to Canada in the 1980s to diversify agriculture, but some farmers released them into the wild when they no longer needed them.
Despite initial doubts, the pigs managed to survive Canadian winters and have since thrived. Wild boar farmers then began crossbreeding them with domestic pigs to create larger and longer animals, which turned out to be a problem when these animals escaped and multiplied in the wild.
Furthermore, the “super pigs” have benefited from a scientific principle called “Bergmann’s rule,” which means specimens in a species tend to be larger the farther north they are because size is crucial for survival in colder environments.
The largest “super pig” discovered in Canada weighed over 600 pounds, making them challenging to eradicate using traditional hunting techniques.
Dr. Brook recommends a rapid and highly aggressive response, such as using large traps, tracking “Judas pigs” with GPS collars, ground removal teams, fencing, and education to prevent them from establishing themselves. Otherwise, these “super pigs” could cause significant environmental devastation that will persist for the next 500 years.
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