Currently, these animals cause an estimated $2.5 billion in annual crop damage across the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Previously, LiveScience warned that the feral ‘super pigs’ from Canada could migrate into northern U.S. states, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota. These pigs are a mix of domestic swine (Sus scrofa domesticus), wild boar (Sus scrofa)—which were introduced to Canada in the late 1980s for meat production and sport hunting—and their hybrids, according to the Canadian Council on Invasive Species.
“They are the worst invasive large mammal on the planet. Period,” Business Insider earlier quoted Ryan Brook, a University of Saskatchewan wildlife researcher and professor, as saying.
What Are Super Pigs?
Super pigs are hybrids deliberately created by crossbreeding wild boars with domestic pigs, resulting in animals known for their size, intelligence, and rapid reproduction.
These pigs have also developed resistance to cold temperatures. Weighing up to 600 pounds, they consume a wide range of food, including frogs, salamanders, ground-nesting bird eggs, and even white-tailed deer.“When the market for boar meat collapsed in the early 2000s, keepers released many boars and pigs, assuming they wouldn’t survive the harsh Canadian prairie winters and deep snow,” LiveScience previously reported. “But instead, the pigs thrived.”
