Consultants to, and Program Designed for:
Mid Peninsula Open Space Agency
City of San Jose
Research shows that at least 80 percent of the wild pig
population must be cropped annually to result in a reduced
population the following year. Therefore, it would be a waste of
time and money trying to eliminate or even substantially reduce pig
damage by the extensive killing of pigs.
A host of factors in wild pig biology make their elimination simply a pipe dream. Therefore, local pig control, not elimination, is the only reasonable alternative. This implies that the agency pursuing the control of feral pigs must decide what is an acceptable amount of pig impact, where on their lands the impact will be tolerated, and to recognize that all impact cannot, categorically, be considered damage.
It
is true that destroying pigs that are damaging particular sites
would remove some of the offending animals. However, the remaining
animals would compensate for this drop in population by having
larger litters. Sooner or later other pigs would move into the
resulting vacuum at the sites, causing additional damage, and
requiring more killing.
Using a lethal solution this cycle of killing and re-population
would be repeated indefinitely. Additionally, pigs would disperse
to avoid areas where they had been previously trapped, spreading
damage into areas where there had been none.
The Zero Population Growth (ZPG) sterilization program offers long-term results. The primary advantage of the
ZPG program is that the population dynamic of feral pigs remain
constant in an area, eliminating the stimuli for compensatory
birthing, immigration and emigration.
The
ZPG program encourages cooperative efforts with bordering
landowners, so as not to be working at cross purposes. The Program
also provides proactive conflict resolution strategies to mitigate
for pig damage that may be incurred by the altered population in
biologically sensitive areas.
For assistance in your area:
Contact mary@littlebluesociety.org or call usToll Free at (866) 702-9290
I would like to see this program expanded into
other communities, where the lethal management programs are still being used. I am ready to support their efforts.
