Canadian ‘Super pigs’ pose threat to U.S.

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) have long been a problem in North America, causing billions of dollars of damage to agricultural lands and harming ecosystems where they appear. Now, as their numbers increase in Canada, researchers say they pose a new threat of invading the U.S. from the north. 

“The wild pigs in Canada are unique because they were originally crossbred by humans to be larger and more cold-hardy than their feral cousins to the south. This suite of traits has earned them the name ‘super pigs’ for good reason,” writes TWS member Marcus Lashley, associate professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Florida, in The Conversation. 

“While efforts to control wild pigs are well underway in the U.S., incursions by Canadian super pigs may complicate the job,” he writes. “Invasive super pigs make for catchy headlines, but their potential effects are no joke.”

Read more at The Conversation.