Georgia farmers are contending with an especially destructive species.
What's happening?
A study from the University of Georgia used drones to survey the damage done to corn, cotton, and peanut crops by wild pigs.
The results? $107,694 worth of damage each year across over 3,500 hectares of property that was monitored.
Georgia isn't the only area struggling with wild pigs. California, Saskatchewan, and Arkansas are just some of the other jurisdictions trying to tamp down the spread of this invasive species.
Why are wild pigs concerning?
"Unfortunately, these pigs and their impact go just beyond what you might think," said study lead author Justine Smith. "They impact our native wildlife and plants, both directly and indirectly. They're incredibly disruptive. They cause a lot of damage."
Wild pigs are among the worst invasive species in North America. Their aggression, rapid breeding, and indiscriminate diet make them an evolving threat.
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Invasive species are generally introduced into new territory by humans. The wild pig, for example, was brought to North America in 1539 as a food source.
When a species escapes the checks and balances it evolved with, it can rapidly outcompete other plants and animals in its new home. With this comes a decline in biodiversity and ecosystem services beneficial to humans.
One study estimates that invasive species incur hundreds of billions in economic losses annually around the world.
Worse still, wild boar can act as a vector for a wide range of harmful diseases, one analysis in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B revealed.
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Yes — everywhere 👏 What's being done about wild pigs?
Some enterprising chefs have taken to targeting invasive animals and plants specifically, allowing them to do double duty in feeding customers and supporting wildlife management.
While the University of Georgia report credits strong culling countermeasures with reducing crop damage, open hunting of wild pigs typically serves only to scare the animals further afield, according to one study in the journal Animals, making them harder to contain.
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