We're Losing The Battle Against Wild Pigs
Ich Bin Ein Berliner Pig via Modern Farmer From Berlin to Mississippi, feral pigs are proving to be one of the most efficient and dangerous invasive species ever known. Smart, industrious, voracious and omnivorous eaters, they reproduce quickly and destroy everything in their path. Modern Farmer has a lovely feature up on the menace--and yes, it is a menace. "The issue is as serious as swine flu," says Modern Farmer. Some key quotes: Wild pigs stick to one area until all food sources are tapped out. Their method of "rooting up" buried treasures (roots, acorns and the like) creates large swaths of cratered, barren terrain. The scorched earth is then abandoned in the hunt for another food source. This voraciousness is problematic for many reasons - destruction of natural ecosystems, choking out native species - but none is more prevalent than decimated crops. Harvests of corn, rice, soybeans, and even cotton have been...