So, #PlainfieldNH is not far from #CorbinPark (more about that in the next post)...

Camera in Upper Valley captures apparent sight of #FeralHog

Wildlife officials say they want to track down animal, test it for diseases

Oct 6, 2022 by Hannah Cotter

PLAINFIELD, N.H. — "A resident of New Hampshire's Upper Valley captured video of what appears to be a feral hog in her Plainfield backyard, and wildlife officials are now trying to track it down.

"Experts said feral hogs aren't found in New Hampshire or the surrounding area, so this one might have escaped from someone who relocated it to the state.

"Wildlife experts said #FeralHogs are considered to be escaped private property (!!!) , so without knowing who owns it, it's not legal to shoot it. (!!!)

"David Allaben, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said they can be a nuisance for landowners.

" 'They eat native #wildlife, young fawns, anything they can get a hold of. Turkey nests, #BirdNests, nesting birds on the ground, #turtles, you name it," Allaben said. 'They're opportunistic feeders -- they eat anything.'

"David Allaben said anyone who sees the hog should contact his office so it can be tracked down and tested for disease.

" ;Once we remove them, we take several samples — blood samples, tissue samples,' Allaben said. "We're testing for a whole variety of different diseases, because our fear is if they get in with domestic swine, these backyard pigs and stuff, they can spread whatever disease to that particular animal, and then we have a problem. And that's one reason we want to get them off the landscape as quickly as possible."

"The USDA is working to get permission to track the hog and remove it from the property.

"The homeowner that captured the video said the animal did not damage any of her property, but she's keeping her cameras on just in case it comes back."

Sourcce:
https://www.wmur.com/article/upper-valley-new-hampshire-feral-hog-10622/41548757

#FeralSwine #FeralHogs
#InvasiveSpecies #Agriculture #NativeSpecies #NewHampshire
#EnvironmentalCatastrophe

#NewHampshire has its own source for a ‘feral swine bomb’

by David Brooks | Sep 22, 2020

"Anybody who has raised pigs or visited a pig farm knows that while this animal is smart and cute, they can be destructive and mean and dangerous as all get-out. Wild pigs are even more so, which is why their continued spread in the U.S. and Canada is one of the more alarming of the many alarming invasive-species stories out there.

"This Atlantic magazine article (read it here) calls it a '#FeralSwineBomb' which is a great phrase – all three of its word pack a punch. Feral! Swine!! Bomb!!!

"Years ago, reducing #FeralPig populations hardly seemed worth the money, but today these animals are responsible for an estimated $2.5 billion worth of damage in the U.S. each year—mostly by mowing down farmers’ #crops, as well as attacking calves, lambs, and pregnant livestock, and destroying #NativePlants, animals, and precious habitats. A feral pig can host at least 30 viral and bacterial diseases, along with nearly 40 parasites.

"New Hampshire is the one spot in the Northeast with a feral pig population, and it’s due to #CorbinPark, the 25,000-acre private hunting preserve in Sullivan County. The park was established in the 1890’s and stocked with wild pigs, among other animals. They have continued to breed and occasionally escape the 25-mile-long fence.

"Allowing them to stay there is like allowing outdoor breeding of Asian long-horned beetles or some other invasive that produces horrible economic and environmental damage if it spreads. It’s crazy – and what’s crazier is that because of century-old rules, you can’t even shoot the pigs if they escape because they’re considered private property. I wrote about this in January as part of a failed attempt to require hunting licenses in the park (story here)."

Read more:
https://granitegeek.concordmonitor.com/2020/09/22/n-h-has-its-own-source-for-a-feral-swine-bomb/

#FeralSwine #FeralHogs #InvasiveSpecies #Agriculture #NativeSpecies #EnvironmentalCatastrophe