US is being invaded by highly intelligent 'super pigs'

Pigs are known to be highly intelligent animals, but now the US is being invaded by a variety of “super pigs” that are even more clever and are wreaking havoc.

The “super pigs” originated from farmers cross-breeding domestic pigs and wild boars in the 1980s, which later escaped captivity. They’re responsible for a whole host of damage to the environment as they eat crops, destroy trees, pollute water and can even kill deer.

The Guardian also reports that the pigs have the potential to incubate a novel influenza virus that could be transferred to humans, which, as we know from the Covid-19 pandemic, can have catastrophic consequences.

The illusive pigs are already terrorising parts of Canada, mainly in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where their population has increased rapidly over the past eight years.

The beasts are much larger than domestic pigs and can weigh over 300kg. They are capable of surviving cold temperatures by burrowing up to two metres under the snow to stay warm and are increasingly viewed as a threat to the environment in the north of the United States.

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It’s estimated that the US population of around 6 million wild pigs cause $1.5 billion dollars of damage per year and their existence has even sparked a hunting industry that sees people pay to shoot them.

Michael Marlow, assistant program manager for the Department of Agriculture’s national feral swine damage management program, said: “We see direct competition for our native species for food.

“However, pigs are also accomplished predators. They’ll opportunistically come upon a hidden animal, and the males have long tusks, so they’re very capable of running and grabbing one with their mouth.

“They’ll kill young fawns, they’re known to be nest predators, so they impact turkeys and potentially quail.”

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