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A feral hog
This information comes to us from Cornell University

An expert on wildlife and human conflicts says there are more and more wild hogs in New York state.

Paul Curtis, a professor of natural resources at Cornell University, said some of these feral hogs weigh nearly 300 pounds.

"Breeding populations of wild boar are becoming established in New York state," he said. "These invasive, non-native hogs can cause tremendous damage to crops and native plant communities. There is also a risk of spreading diseases, such as pseudorabies, from feral hogs to domestic livestock. Feral swine produce rapidly, have large litters of six to eight piglets, and can produce multiple litters per year."

"Now is the time to control abundance of feral hogs before the population explodes," he said. "A conservative estimate of wild pig damage to crops and the environment is $1.5 billion annually in the U.S."