The wild pig population explosion shows no signs of slowing. It has expanded from 19 states in 1985 to 39 states in 2016. Recent testing of using sodium nitrate in the form of a new oral toxicant is showing promise to help curb wild pig populations.
Dale Nolte, national coordinator for the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program, said, “Recent research results suggest the prior published estimates of feral swine causing $1.5 billion in economic impacts are likely an understatement of actual damages, which could be as much as $2.5 billion annually.”
Source: Pork, November 13, 2017.
Oklahoman John Gaskamp, Noble Research Institute believes the sheer numbers of wild pigs will limit the efficacy of toxicants. “We lose entire crops over a couple of nights. Some farmers are spending an unreal amount of money to replant, smooth fields, repair irrigation and clean up pecan orchards. For people who don’t know, the ability of wild pigs to wreck farmland is absolutely incredible. There is just no other animal as resilient as a wild pig.”
INSIGHTS: Feral pigs, like feral cats are invasive. In both populations we struggle to include them in disease control measures for species population methodologies. Animal health pros need to support feral population control and promote the humane aspects of population reductions.