DNR captures feral pigs near Blue Earth
State wildlife officials recently captured a number of feral pigs in Faribault County.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources received a call about the animals on the afternoon of Sept 23.
Conservation officers responded, but didn’t initially locate the animals. The following day, a few adults and some piglets were captured east of Blue Earth. The pigs were turned over to the division of Fish and Wildlife for testing.
DNR Information Officer Dan Ruiter tells SMN the hogs escaped from a stockyard and went unreported. The piglets suggest that some breeding occurred.
Swine are not native to North America and can be particularly destructive to an ecosystem if allowed to persist. Unchecked, they can create crop damage and foul water supplies. Of primary concern are diseases such as pseudorabies, brucellosis, and tuberculosis.
Ruiter says the member of the public was right to report the hogs. “They kept a problem from potentially becoming a much larger issue,” he said.
In Minnesota, it’s illegal to possess, release, or allow feral swine to run at large. Doing so could result in a misdemeanor conviction and/or fines.
