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submitted 7 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

An exploding population of hard-to-eradicate "super pigs" in Canada is threatening to spill south of the border, and northern states like Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana are taking steps to stop the invasion.

In Canada, the wild pigs roaming Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba pose a new threat. They are often crossbreeds that combine the survival skills of wild Eurasian boars with the size and high fertility of domestic swine to create a "super pig" that's spreading out of control.

Ryan Brook, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan and one of Canada's leading authorities on the problem, calls feral swine, "the most invasive animal on the planet" and "an ecological train wreck."

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[-] teft@startrek.website 140 points 7 months ago

The most invasive animal on the planet.

I think humans win that trophy.

[-] Pretzilla@lemmy.world 39 points 7 months ago

To be fair, we are behind the whole invasive species thing

[-] grue@lemmy.world 25 points 7 months ago

"Who is more invasive? The invasive species or the invasive species who imported it?" -- Obi Wan Swinobi

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[-] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 14 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Yeah, way into the planetary infestation phase too, and already triggered the 6th mass extinction event.

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[-] Candelestine@lemmy.world 51 points 7 months ago

At least they sound like a viable game animal. Invasive species to you, 100lbs of free pork for Billy out in the woods. We use it to control deer populations from exploding in certain areas where we've removed the top predator though, and we just kinda take its place. Can potentially help with any animal that has the misfortune of being both tasty and economical to go out and hunt for.

Won't eradicate them or anything, but will help keep them in check. It's a facet of that old alliance between hunters/fishermen and environmental activists.

[-] khannie@lemmy.world 56 points 7 months ago

Unfortunately they'll still see population growth....

That means 65% or more of a wild pig population could be killed every year and it will still increase, Brook said. Hunting just makes the problem worse, he said. The success rate for hunters is only about 2% to 3% and several states have banned hunting because it makes the pigs more wary and nocturnal — tougher to track down and eradicate.

[-] Track_Shovel@slrpnk.net 24 points 7 months ago

They are clever animals. You have to play the long con if you want to deal with their populations. Ive seen things where they actually feed them and gradually pen them in and the liquidate the whole drove.

[-] Jaysyn@kbin.social 12 points 7 months ago

My family in GA does a lot of this. They are farmers & have been successful in keeping feral hogs out of their fields. Hunting & trapping absolutely does work, you just have to know what the hell you're doing.

[-] trash80@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 7 months ago

The success rate for hunters is only about 2% to 3%

What does that mean? What is the definition of success?

[-] BombOmOm@lemmy.world 29 points 7 months ago

A hunter does not need to make 33 to 50 trips to get one kill (a 2% - 3% success rate). Clearly the definition of success here is whack.

[-] JJROKCZ@lemmy.world 27 points 7 months ago

One would assume success means killing an animal when you go out on the hunt. 2-3% seems ludicrously low though, i grew up hunting in southern Illinois to feed our family and the success rate for deer was easily ten times that number on a bad year

[-] Zoboomafoo@lemmy.world 15 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I think it means that when they go out and shoot a pig or two, that's only 2-3% of the herd

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[-] Candelestine@lemmy.world 12 points 7 months ago

I shoulda opened the article instead of just reading the synopsis. That is concerning.

I'll point out though, that since it's a new prey animal to the area, it will take time for the locals to learn how to hunt it effectively. It's behavior needs to be learned first, so effective approaches can be devised.

But ... delicious, economical and challenging is also something a hunter might find interesting.

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[-] mctoasterson@reddthat.com 34 points 7 months ago

Just declare open season and no bag limit on pigs in all northern states. I guarantee you all the Bubbas and outdoorsmen will take care of it.

[-] Cianalas@lemmy.world 23 points 7 months ago

They're not able to keep up with the breeding in Texas, and there's even helicopter tours where you can try and wipe out whole herds at a time.

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[-] ItsMeSpez@lemmy.world 21 points 7 months ago

This is already the case in Saskatchewan and it hasn't managed to curb the population.

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[-] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 7 months ago

In many states it is, not just northern. Iirc Texas will pay you to take an AR into a field and take out as many as you can. People even organize hunts from helicopters hunting herds like they should have Fortunate Son playing (no full auto though just ARs and typically BYOAR and ammo iirc.)

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[-] 0Xero0@lemmy.world 32 points 7 months ago

"Super pigs" — called the "most invasive animal on the planet"

Human: Look what they need to mimic a fraction of our power

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[-] novibe@lemmy.ml 31 points 7 months ago
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[-] Primarily0617@kbin.social 29 points 7 months ago

and we all made fun of that 30-50 feral hogs guy

truly we were the fools all along

[-] FireTower@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago

Feral hogs have been a problem for a while. They do tons of damage to southern agriculture each year. USDA estimates 1.5 billion dollars worth annually. https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/impacts/southern-region-land-grant-researchers-finding-feral-hog-solutions

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[-] Professorozone@lemmy.world 28 points 7 months ago

Do they not taste good or something?

[-] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 26 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

No, Thėy təste aɓSlutelƴ awefull!

-Sined, Not Ae Pig

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[-] firewyre@lemmy.world 26 points 7 months ago

I love problems we can eat our way out of... if we almost wiped out the buffalo these little shits shouldn't be an issue.

[-] joostjakob@lemmy.world 14 points 7 months ago

Buffalo weren't eaten to almost extinction. And they don't give birth to 10 calves at a time.

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[-] Furball@sh.itjust.works 24 points 7 months ago

Super-pigs threatening to invade America?

I knew all that military spending would come in handy

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[-] ramius345@sh.itjust.works 24 points 7 months ago

Pork for the pork God.

[-] ByteJunk@lemmy.world 23 points 7 months ago

Can't this be solved in a way where we get tons of super bacon?

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[-] fhek@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 7 months ago

Build a wall! The pigs are going to pay for it!

[-] ours@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

The bacon tax.

[-] beebarfbadger@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago

"most invasive animal on the planet"

Oh, just wait until you find out about humans...

[-] MNByChoice@midwest.social 18 points 7 months ago

Can wild wolves keep them in check? Coyotes seem too small to kill an adult wild pig. (I have no idea.)

[-] ikidd@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago

The pigs are mainly around agricultural areas. We're on the bare edge of the Canadian prairie (10km from the edge of forest that extends 2500km to the west and however far to the tundra) and we rarely see wolves even here. They aren't really a predator for the Russian boar that are now endemic in our area.

Between the 3 of us here on the farm, we've probably shot (and eaten because they're delicious) about 200 of them over the last 5 or 6 years. And we've knocked them back a bit on our own land, but they just breed over on other people's farms and give ours a wide berth now.

Biggest one we shot was over 500lbs

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[-] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 13 points 7 months ago

Imagine thinking about a working natural ecosystem (co)existing in the same era as humans, preposterous.

:'(

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[-] modifier@lemmy.ca 18 points 7 months ago

I know this is bad, but I also know I'm not the only one whose first thought was, "super bacon".

[-] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 16 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Oh, ok, so like literally, not a title about overseas mutated police force ...

A close one with all them nuclear reactors being hacked to produce, em, hybrids.

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[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 14 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I'd say we could use Spider-Pig to stop the Super Pigs, but you're not supposed to mix Marvel and D.C.

EDIT: Guess you guys aren't Simpsons fans.

[-] stifle867@programming.dev 20 points 7 months ago

The risk is that if these pigs cross with a hypothetical manbear then we would have an unstoppable being that's half man, half bear, half pig.

[-] Got_Bent@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

Spider pig

Spider pig

Does whatever a spider pig does

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[-] Additional_Prune@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

If we can wipe out the passenger pigeon, we can surely wipe out some nice tasty pork.

[-] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

Free pork should never be an issue.

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[-] ICastFist@programming.dev 12 points 7 months ago

Stupid solution suggestion: set up plenty of bait traps that'll cage them. Barbecue ensues.

[-] Texas_Hangover@lemm.ee 19 points 7 months ago

In Texas we can shoot 'em from helicopters with fully automatic weapons. (Seriously) 🤠

[-] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago

Do you play Panama by Van Halen while you do it? Cause I’m imagining that right now.

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[-] dangblingus@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

I think we better do what the pigs say guys. The threats sound like they've got a bone to pick with the US.

[-] spudwart@spudwart.com 11 points 7 months ago

FREE BACON!

[-] interceder270@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago
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this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2023
401 points (98.8% liked)

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