BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – The North Dakota Ag Department is closely tracking the movement of feral pigs near the Canadian border. There have been reports in other states and there is concern that the animals could cause problems if they show up here.
The state veterinarian has been aware of the pigs for a while and is monitoring them.
The feral pigs are escaped Eurasian boars that bred with domestic pigs.
Eurasian boars were introduced in Canada as a hunting project to boost the economy.
The newly bred pigs spread rapidly and generally adapt well to new environments.
“The worry about them being in the environment is that they can damage crops. They can also spread disease to our domestic pigs. And then they’re also just a species that can compete with our domestic species that we have on our prairie and in our forests. So, we don’t want them to become established in North Dakota,” said Ethan Andress, state veterinarian.
He is asking producers to report stray pigs they see to the State Ag Department, where they will be tested for disease and identified.
All reported pigs so far have been domestic pigs that have escaped.
Source : KFYR
