Super Pigs Threaten to Invade the US, Causing Concern for Northern States A population explosion of hard-to-eradicate “super pigs” in Canada has experts warning that these invasive animals may soon spill south of the border into states like Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana. The wild pigs in Canada, often crossbreeds combining the survival skills of Eurasian boar with the size and fertility of domestic swine, are causing ecological havoc. Ryan Brook, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan, calls feral swine “the most invasive animal on the planet.” The pigs, which were encouraged to be raised in the 1980s and then released when the market collapsed, have proven to be highly adaptable and destructive. They eat crops and wildlife, destroy land when rooting for bugs, and can spread devastating diseases to hog farms. With each sow capable of having six piglets in a litter and raising two litters in a year, their population growth is rapid. Hunting has proven ineffective, with only a 2-3% success rate and the pigs becoming more wary and nocturnal in response. Already causing around $2.5 billion in damage to US crops each year, wild pigs pose a threat to human safety as well. Eradication is no longer possible in some parts of Canada, but detection systems and quick response remain key. Some states have successfully eliminated the pigs using various methods, including traps and net guns fired from helicopters. Montana has been particularly aggressive in keeping wild pigs out by banning raising and transporting them within the state. Minnesota, North Dakota, and other northern states are taking preventive measures to stop the establishment of these invasive super pigs. The US Department of Agriculture is ramping up surveillance along the northern border through the use of aircraft and drones. Though eradication is not imminent, progress is being made through the National Feral Swine Management Program, which aims to eradicate populations where they are low or emerging and limit damage where they are already established.