It makes you wonder why our government is wasting so much money to round up America’s wild horses & burros, when millions of dangerous feral pigs are running rampant and causing so much destruction.

SOURCE: yahoo news

Feral hogs can host more than 30 viral and bacterial diseases as well as scores of parasites (AP)

by Graig Graziosi, The Independent

A population explosion among wild boars in the US has led experts to warn that a “feral swine bomb,” if left unchecked, could wreak havoc on large swaths of the country.

Undark Magazine reported on the explosion of the pig population, which has caused an estimated $2.5bn worth of damages every year.

Feral hogs trample and tear-up crops, attack livestock, and can destroy sensitive habitats. The pigs also act as disease carriers. They can host more than 30 viral and bacterial diseases as well as scores of parasites.

There are approximately 9 million feral hogs in the US, and their numbers are multiplying quickly.

Thirty years ago, only 17 states had feral hog populations. Today, there are at least 39 states dealing with the animals’ destructive tendencies.

Dale Nolte, manager of the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program at the US Department of Agriculture, told Undark Magazine that their exponential population growth has experts concerned.

“They multiply so rapidly. To go from a thousand to two thousand, it’s not a big deal. But if you’ve got a million, it doesn’t take long to get to 4 [million], then 8 million,” he said.

In some parts of the country, like Florida, Georgia and California, the feral hog population has grown wildly out of control. Both California and Texas have encouraged the recreational hunting of the pigs, but their attempts to cull the population backfired; in response to the hunting, the pigs simply scattered throughout the state, increasing the scope of the problem.

Data suggests that in Colorado, for example, hunting pigs will actually increase their traveling distance by up to 100 miles.

READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE HERE.