Distribution of To learn more about feral swine and the diseases Knowing If Feral Swine Over Time !"#$%&'($)$%*'+%,)-$.%"$'/0'12-#345$4-%' Feral Swine they carry, visit these Web sites. Feral swine are quickly spreading across the United Are in Your I APHIS States due to natural population growth, illegal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Area movement by sports hunters, and escapes from Program Aid No. 2086 www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage domestic swine operations. Experts estimate their Feral swine damage numbers at over 5 million animals nationwide. is often caused at www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/ night when the swine animals are most Feral Swine: active. The best I Centers for Disease Control and Prevention way to tell if feral Damage and swine are active in your area is to look for common www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/brucellosis Disease Threats signs of rooting, rubbing, wallowing, tracks, and trails. www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis 2010

I National Feral Swine Mapping System, Reducing Feral Swine Damage University of Georgia Experts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture http://128.192.20.53/nfsms Additional copies of this brochure are available (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at no charge from: (APHIS) are working in collaboration with State, local, Publications Distribution and tribal officials to reduce the threats caused by feral USDA/APHIS swine to our country’s livestock, native ecosystems, 4700 River Road, Unit 1 and human and animal health. You can help be part Riverdale, MD 20737-1229 of the solution. Order online via: www.aphis.usda.gov/publications 2004 I Report feral swine activity to the proper wildlife and agriculture officials in your State. You may also call APHIS Wildlife Services toll free at 1-866-4USDA-WS (1-866-487-3297) for assistance in dealing with feral swine. Photo Credits: All images in this brochure were taken by I Do not relocate feral swine without the APHIS employees or are part of the APHIS image collection.

proper permits. It is illegal in most States to USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. trap and move feral swine. This publication supersedes Agricultural Information Bulletin No. 799, I If you raise domestic pigs, take adequate “Feral/Wild Pigs: Potential Problems for Farmers and Hunters,” which was published in October 2005. biosecurity measures at your facility to pre- vent the accidental release of domestic pigs Issued August 2011 Slightly revised June 2013 or the interaction between feral swine and 1982 domestic pigs.

Feral swine often forage alongside livestock and eat grains, mineral blocks, and other items intended for cattle. APHIS animal health experts are concerned that such close contact can result in the transmission of disease from feral swine to livestock and people. Feral Swine Identified No Feral Swine In just a few nights, feral swine can ree-ranging populations range expansion, illegal trapping decimate lawns, native habitats, Impacts to People and Pets and pasturelands. Common feral of feral swine (also called and movement by people, and swine damage includes wallowing, Though a rare occurrence, feral swine can directly tree rubbing, and rooting. infect people with diseases. For example, brucellosis feral hogs and wild pigs) accidental releases or escapes from (or undulant fever) can be transmitted to people when F blood or other body fluid from an infected animal in the United States are located domestic swine operations. comes into contact with a person’s eyes, nose, mouth, in at least 35 States. Some or open wound. The expanding populations of feral Feral swine can also carry harm- experts estimate their numbers ful organisms and diseases such Some at over 5 million, with the largest swine are a significant concern as toxoplasmosis, tularemia, Diseases to farmers, livestock producers, trichinellosis, swine influenza, Carried by populations located in California, salmonella, E. coli , and a variety Feral Swine natural resource managers, and of bacterial diseases that can Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas. This cause sickness and, in some Pseudorabies animal health officials. However, cases, death to people who species causes extensive damage An Invasive Species Brucellosis feral swine issues are not limited to consume contaminated food and disease threats to public Feral swine are an invasive species. They are not native products. If you feel ill after Porcine natural areas and rural environments. to the United States and should not be confused with the coming in contact with or con- reproductive property, native ecosystems, collared peccary (javelina), a native pig-like mammal of the Disease and Feral Swine suming feral swine, contact and respiratory your physician. Feral swine are highly adaptable Southwest. Today’s feral swine are descendants of domes- Feral swine have been known to carry or transmit over syndrome livestock health, and human tic swine that were first introduced to the United States in 30 diseases and 37 parasites that can be transmitted to Pseudorabies can be transmit- and are becoming more common 1539 by Spanish explorers. Following their arrival, it was Swine influenza health. Feral swine populations livestock, people, pets, and wildlife. ted from feral swine to some common practice for settlers to allow their domestic swine in suburban areas, rooting up lawns, pets, such as dogs and cats, as Toxoplasmosis to roam freely. Many years later, sport hunters introduced Feral swine can carry several diseases that affect domestic will continue to spread across well as cattle, sheep, and goats. true Eurasian wild boars into certain areas where their swine. If a foreign animal disease, such as classical swine gardens, golf courses, and city parks. Signs of illness include intense Tularemia the country as a result of natural bloodlines mixed with domestic swine. Due to their exten- fever or foot-and-mouth disease, were to enter the United itching often followed by sive crossbreeding, feral swine often vary in appearance States, feral swine could spread the disease to domestic Trichinellosis paralysis and death. Contact and can be mistaken for domestic pigs. swine or other susceptible animals. Once prevalent in feral your veterinarian if your pets or swine populations, the disease would be extremely dif- livestock come in contact with ficult to eradicate. Another feral swine and show any of the following clinical signs: The Cost of Feral Swine Damage concern is the potential for feral swine to reintroduce I Sudden change in behavior It is estimated that feral swine in the United States cause diseases that have been more than $1.5 billion in damages and control costs each eradicated in U.S. livestock. I Excessive salivation year. For example, rooting and wallowing activities cause For example, domestic I Difficulty breathing property damage and erosion to river banks. Feral swine swine are now free of pseu- eat and destroy field crops such as corn, milo, rice, water- dorabies and swine brucel- I Fever melon, spinach, peanuts, hay, turf, and wheat. They are losis. If reinfection through I Vomiting also efficient predators and, when given the opportunity, feral swine should occur, I prey upon young livestock and other small animals, such it would be economically Depression/reluctance to move as ground-nesting birds. devastating to the pork I Difficult walking/poor coordination industry. In addition, their rooting activities destroy native vegeta- I Convulsions tion, and invasive plants often re-vegetate damaged areas, I reducing native plants and grasses. Their wallowing Intense itching or self mutilation APHIS wildlife disease I activities can contaminate water supplies and impact water biologists monitor feral swine Coma quality. These animals have also been known to destroy Relocations of feral swine have resulted in extensive crossbreeding, producing variations in appearance. Some look like traditional wild boars, for the presence of more than I Sudden death while others look more like domestic pigs in body shape and color. It is often difficult to distinguish feral swine from domestic swine based on livestock and game fences and consume livestock feed, 10 diseases that can affect appearance alone. minerals, and protein supplements. livestock, people, and pets.