Officials with the Game Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Raystown Lake recently trapped and euthanized four feral swine that had been reported roaming the eastern side of the Raystown Lake property in late June by fishermen and boaters.

Jeff Krause, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers biologist, confirmed the reports and noted serious habitat damage along a section of the 30-mile long lake in Huntingdon County.

He contacted the Game Commission, which, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, developed a trapping team comprised of Krause; Justin Vreeland, Game Commission Southcentral Region Wildlife Management Supervisor; Don Garner, Game Commission Southcentral Region Information and Education Supervisor; Dr. Matt Lovallo, Game Commission Game Mammals Section supervisor; Dr. Walter Cottrell, Game Commission Wildlife Veterinarian; and Rob Criswell, Game Commission Southcentral Director.

The effort also was supported by Juniata College Raystown Field Station personnel, which provided boat access and maintained bait stations prior to trapping.

"Cross-referencing numerous trail camera photos, it was determined that all feral pigs were removed from the Corps of Engineers facility," Garner said. "All carcasses were shipped to Penn State University for disease analysis. Found among stomach content was immature hickory nuts, salamanders and vegetation."

Criswell praised the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Raystown Lake staff and facility for its exemplary stewardship of the resources it oversees.

"The Raystown Lake staff is to be commended for, once again, demonstrating its commitment to responsible wildlife management and habitat protection on lands under its supervision," Criswell said. "The resources and assistance they provided ensured a quick and successful conclusion to this situation."

In Pennsylvania, feral swine have been a growing concern as they have been devastating wildlife habitat in Penn's Woods. Whether escaped or illegally released, feral swine have established breeding populations in several areas of Pennsylvania.

As a result of a December 27, 2007, Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision, the Game Commission was vested with the responsibility of attempting to control feral swine, such as the imported European wild hog, also referred to a Russian boar.

"Feral swine are omnivorous and will eat anything from grain to carrion," Garner said. "Due to their habit of rooting for nutrients, feral swine can cause major, sometimes irreparable, damage and remove crucial wildlife cover in a manner matched only by motorized equipment.

"One of the mainstays for many wildlife species is acorns. Deer, squirrels, ducks, turkeys, grouse, birds, bears and many other species depend on acorns for a significant part of their diet. Feral swine also love acorns, and are very efficient at finding them. In Texas, feral swine predation on livestock is a serious problem and, in some counties, feral swine kill and consume lambs and kid goats."

According to Dr. Cottrell, feral swine also will kill ground-nesting birds, such as ruffed grouse and wild turkeys, and destroy their nesting sites. Feral swine also pose a significant threat to sensitive wetland habitats like vernal pools and small streams and creeks along with the rare, threatened, and endangered plant species associated with them.

"Additionally, domestic pork producers have a legitimate concern that far-ranging wild hogs serve as disease vectors," Dr. Cottrell said. "Feral hogs carry brucellosis, which has been documented to have been transmitted from feral hogs to domestic stock and humans, pseudorabies, which causes domestic pigs to abort, and causes death in domestic and wild animals that contract it, and a host of other diseases. Cases are documented in Arkansas of feral hogs transmitting diseases such as brucellosis and trichinosis to humans, either directly or indirectly."

For more information, visit the Game Commission's feral swine webpage.

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8/1/2008