Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers confiscated feral swine from a farm in El Paso County that later tested positive for pseudorabies.
It is illegal to bring invasive species such as feral swine into Colorado, remind CPW and the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA). For 15 years, Colorado has worked to eliminate feral swine, working with a partnership that includes CDA as well as federal agencies including APHIS and the U.S. Forest Service.
“This is exactly why we have worked so hard to eliminate free-roaming feral swine from Colorado,” Travis Black, CPW’'s Regional Manager for the Northwest Region based in Grand Junction and an expert on feral pigs, said in a release. “Roaming wild, feral swine destroy agricultural crops, wildlife habitat and out-compete native species for food. And feral swine kept on farms pose a huge risk to other animals by spreading diseases such as pseudorabies, as in this case.”
A team of CPW officers led by Black, who was then Deputy Regional Manager for the Southeast Region based in Colorado Springs, and Area Wildlife Manager Cody Wigner, descended on a small farm on Sept. 3 near Colorado Springs after reports the homeowner was raising feral swine illegally imported from Texas.
CPW found three of the wild pigs in a small barn and euthanized them. After sending blood samples to a lab for analysis, test results showed the presence of pseudorabies.
The homeowner was cited for illegally transporting and possessing the prohibited species. Each is a misdemeanor charge and carries a fine and surcharge amount of $137 per animal, CPW reports.
CPW is working with USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to trace the feral swine back to their original herd in Texas to help stop the spread of this contagious virus.
“The Colorado feral swine task force continues to monitor for reintroductions to ensure the state remains free of this invasive species and the damage it can inflict,” CPW said in a release.
Read more about how Colorado eliminated feral swine here.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
How Colorado Eliminated Feral Hogs
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Feral Hog Eradication in Missouri: Let the Trapping Continue
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