Pennsylvania to Assess Feral Hogs

November 6, 2006 — 

The Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council and the USDA have provided a $60,000 grant to fund sample collection and testing of feral swine in the state this fall.

The Pennsylvania Feral Hog Task Force, which includes representatives from government and industry as well as concerned citizens, was formed earlier this year and has expressed concern over the potential animal and human health issues posed by the wild pigs. Officials are concerned over the presence of diseases such as Pseudorabies, Brucellosis and trichinosis.

Although feral swine in the state are not classified as wildlife, employees of the USDA's Wildlife Services Division will trap and shoot feral hogs starting in November. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture technicians will collect blood samples which will be analyzed for infectious diseases by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Diagnostics Laboratories at Penn State's University Park campus and at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.

A recent report documented the presence of feral swine in 11 counties and there is "clear evidence that the population is growing" according to Dave Wolfgang, extension veterinarian in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Complicating the issue is the fact that none of the state's regulatory agencies has direct responsibility for management and control of the feral hog population. Hunting feral swine is unregulated in the state and thus the animals can be killed 365 days a year and there is no bag limit.

Source:
State College.com, November 3, 2006