As night falls and the oppressive daytime heat dissipates, a hoofed beast raises his flattened snout and leads his hungry sounder to scour the Michigan countryside for anything and everything. Since pigs were brought to North America by Spanish explorers in the 17th century, they have proven to be important livestock for settlers. Over time, these animals have escaped from farms or been released for different reasons. Some of the escaped pigs then interbred with wild Eurasian boars which were brought to the United States for hunting in the early 1900’s. Now, there is now a significant free-ranging, hybrid swine population in Michigan and across the country. This non-native, or invasive, specie reeks havoc on the ecosystem, crops, and could potentially spread disease to domesticated pigs. In Michigan, feral pig sightings have become more commonplace in the last eight years and their numbers are growing at an alarming rate. In order to prevent severe damage, aggressive action must be taken now to smother this prolific, destructive animal.Feral swine are generating obscene disturbances in our fragile ecosystem. After a family of pigs wallow in a pond, the water becomes murky and the aquatic vegetation is trampled. This instigates algae blooms which devastates wetland habitats and lowers overall water quality. Similarly, the wallowing and digging of these 130+ pound invaders near a river leads to bank erosion. If left to their own devices, feral swine would lay waste to wetland and watercourse habitats. Not only do they make a mess, free-ranging pigs eat whatever plants or animals come their way, living or dead. Therefore, many native and endangered species must compete with the mushrooming pig population for food. Armed with four pointed tusks, wild boars will even prey upon fawns, lambs, calves, and weakened adult livestock. The effects of their behavior are felt in all parts of the food chain.
Not only do feral pigs ravage the environment, they can do a number on the agricultural industry. Hogs gorge themselves on mature or seeding crops and use their
snout and excellent sense of smell to dig up seeds in freshly planted fields. All of this rooting and foraging results in destroyed pastures, broken fences and feeders, and forgone profit. The more serious threat, however, is the transmission of disease to commercial livestock. Feral pigs are known carriers of pseudorabies and brucellosis, the latter of which is contagious to humans. Pseudorabies is of special concern because it is a viral disease that causes stillbirths and abortions in pigs and can be fatal to other animals including cattle, horses, and goats. Once a pig is infected, the individual carries the disease for life and it can be transmitted through direct contact or contaminated feed and water. In a recent study by the Michigan DNR, 5 of 26 feral swine tested positive for pseudorabies. Cleary, their numbers must be controlled immediately so as to prevent a viral outbreak in the commercial pork and dairy industry.
Encouraging sportsmen to hunt and trap free-ranging hogs is a quick and effective way to tackle this growing problem. Currently, under Michigan law, hunters can shoot feral swine while legally hunting game during an open season of any type. However, this does not apply to all Michigan counties because swine are not defined as wildlife, rather agricultural products. Some local governments contend that recognizing an escaped domesticated pig from a feral one is hardly possible; in other words, they want to prevent escaped livestock from being killed accidentally. If we are to eradicate this pest, then such legal issues ought to be put aside in the interest of the depredated wildlife. Accordingly, the Michigan DNR should do as the Wisconsin DNR has done and classify feral pigs as unprotected wild animals with no harvest limit, no closed season, and harvesting in all counties. Cage traps, although inherently monstrous, should also be a legal option for Michiganders.
Immediate, aggressive action is necessary to purge our fragile ecosystem of this invader. In Oregon Public Broadcasting’s invasive species documentary, The Silent Invasion, it is stressed that we can no longer afford to be ignorant and immobile when it comes to invasive species. Global trade has played a major role in the recent explosion of invasive species at home and abroad. Moreover, feral swine pale in comparison to the damage other non-native organisms can do to local economies and quality of life. For example, Spartina or cord grass, native to the Atlantic coast, has taken over some of China’s most important, fruitful waterways. It is becoming increasingly plain to see that this is truly a global issue. In a broad sense, we all need to be thoughtful of cleaning our boats, disposing of yard waste, transporting plants or animals, and releasing pets into the wild. In many ways, invasive species are “the new litter”; it is going to take public education, legislation, and perhaps even a crying Indian ad to ensure the future of our planet.
