ABSTRACT
As described and reiterated throughout this book, wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a well-established ecological and economic issue in North America, causing considerable damage to both anthropogenic and ecological resources. They are considered 1 of the top 2 most destructive, invasive terrestrial vertebrates in North America (the other is the invasive Burmese python (Python bivittatus) in Florida; North American Invasive Species Network 2015), and estimates of their damages are in the billions of dollars. Although most news and reports concerning impacts of wild pigs are discouraging, more recently there has been a growing number of success stories concerning their management. Within only a few years of the US federal government’s investment in wild pig control in 2014 (USDA/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 2015), several states with small populations of wild pigs reported successful eradication. Idaho, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York have all reported successful elimination of wild pig populations within their borders, and all wild pigs are believed to have been removed from Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington as well. While surveillance in these states must be maintained as the potential for reinvasion (misguided anthropogenic or natural) exists, these success stories are cause for optimism and suggest wild pig control programs in other areas have the potential to also be successful. However, other parts of the country have much greater densities of wild pigs, as well as cultural differences that will factor into the success of any wild pig management program. For this reason, management strategies and tools, public support, and governmental support and legislative actions will need to evolve if we can expect to continue to reduce populations and impacts of wild pigs across the continent.
