North Carolina Farmers Are Facing a Growing Threat From Wild Hogs
Hogs are causing some big issues in North Carolina. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, wild hogs cause an estimated $1.5 billion in damages every year across the country.
They cause tens of millions of dollars in damage in North Carolina, and the number is climbing. In response, North Carolina formed a Feral Swine Task Force. This was designed to track and trap the destructive animals. Unlike domestic pigs, wild swine can live in urban, suburban, and rural areas, from the mountains to the sea. Their presence has been reported in most counties of North Carolina, but typically in isolated pockets.
What to Do About the Hogs?
According to a report on WRAL, wild hogs in North Carolina date back to the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors presented them as a food source. Then, sport hunters brought over Eurasian boars as commercial hog farming grew. Now, these feral boars are everywhere.
The concern of the feral hogs is not just limited to physical and plant damage, but other concerns. The hogs also carry diseases that could infest livestock, domestic pets, and on rare occasions, infect people. According to NC Wild Life.org, feral swine have the potential to carry at least 30 diseases and nearly 40 different parasites. The N.C. Feral Swine Task Force comprises state and federal agencies that are working collaboratively to learn more about and manage the impacts of feral swine in the state. Check out these shots of hogs in the wild.
