They destroy fields and carry viruses

The United States is threatened by Canada. No, it is not about political issues but about animals. To endanger the so-called US ecosystem Super pigsas a result of Cross between domestic pigs and wild boars around the 1980s to obtain higher meat-yielding cattle. These are very hardy animals that are able to withstand arctic temperatures – even 50 degrees below zero From Western Canada – which also has its weight 220 kg. The greatest resistance to harsh climatic conditions is given precisely by crossing the DNA of two types of pigs and makes them capable of Digging tunnels up to two meters below the snow level.

Damage to the area

The danger is that the super boars greatly reduce the area’s resources and, being skilled predators, begin to hunt the local fauna with serious repercussions for the survival of the elk and other wild animals. Introduced to American soil in the 16th century, wild pigs have caused massive damage ever since: according to US government estimates, there are currently about 6 million samples Which wreaks havoc every year $1.5 billion. Fields and cultivated trees must be destroyed due to their anger, as well as a significant increase in water pollution.

virus vessels

The threat they pose to human health should not be underestimated: the pig is a real vessel capable of carrying viruses that are transmitted to humans. As I mentioned National Geographic It is possible that these animals will be able to create a new influenza virus capable of spreading among humans. The USDA has also warned of possible outbreaks of leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, brucellosis, swine flu, salmonella, hepatitis, and other currently unknown pathogens.

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How do we fight them? “Judas Pig”

doctor Ryan BrookL., head of the Canadian University of Saskatchewan research project on feral pigs, explained to guardian It is the most invasive large mammal on the planet. This phenomenon has exploded in the past eight years: in fact, feral pigs have invaded Canadian regions Manitoba, Alberta And Saskatchewan. Brock explains that the reason they are so popular is mainly due to the fact that they have escaped from farms, and because they are very intelligent animals, they are also difficult to hunt and locate. One method that has been successful in the United States is the so-called «Judas pig»: This is a specimen fitted with a GPS collar and being released into the wild with the hope that it will join a herd of wild boar. A kind of Trojan horse that allows you to eliminate the animals that are with it. But Brock himself is not so sanguine: “They seem to be here to stay.”

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