Researchers issue warning about 'nuclear' hogs rapidly reproducing in Japan

Japanese scientists have made an important discovery about the influence of genetic markers on the surge of hybrid hogs in Japan. 

This phenomenon came in the aftermath of a natural disaster that displaced hundreds of thousands of residents. With knowledge of the hybridization occurring among the animals, scientists were able to conduct their research in real time. 

What happened?

In 2011, Japan experienced a 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake and subsequent tsunami in the Tōhoku region. Three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered a partial meltdown, releasing radiation into the area. 

According to the World Nuclear Association, some 160,000 residents were evacuated from the area. Pets and domesticated farm animals were left behind, per Popular Science. 

Thanks to decontamination efforts and radioactive decay, airborne radiation has been reduced to safe levels, making the city safe to live in and visit again, according to Fukushima Travel. 

However, a hybrid hog species — from the crossbreeding of wild boars and escaped domestic pigs from the 2011 Fukushima evacuation — is multiplying at an accelerated pace. 

The hybrid hog species retained the domestic pig mother's reproductive qualities. Domestic pigs were selectively bred over generations to be able to reproduce year-round, whereas wild boars tend to reproduce only once per year. 

As Shingo Kaneko, a geneticist at Fukushima University, observed in a statement, "While it has been previously suggested that hybridization between rewilded swine and wild boars can contribute to population growth, this study demonstrates — through the analysis of a large-scale hybridization event following the Fukushima nuclear accident — that the rapid reproductive cycle of domestic swine is inherited through the maternal lineage."

Why is this important?

The study, published in the Journal of Forest Research, suggests that maternal swine lineage can increase the rate of generation turnover.

With that in mind, researchers and conservationists can use this crucial finding to predict and manage potential population-explosion risks posed by invasive pig species in other parts of the world.

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For example, in Lee County, Texas, feral hogs have caused significant property damage. Statewide, invasive wild pigs cause $52 million in agricultural damage annually.

"We wish to emphasize that this mechanism likely occurs in other regions worldwide where feral pigs and wild boars interbreed," said Hirosaki University geneticist Donovan Anderson.

What's being done about this?

To help control the population of affected wild hogs, the government encouraged local hunting of these wild animals, providing incentive payments of up to ¥20,000 ($129) per wild boar, according to Nippon.com. 

Japan is also installing electric fencing to prevent wild boar intrusion on fields, minimizing crop damage. 

Meanwhile, invasive species pose a risk worldwide. While the feral hogs in Japan will not be safe to eat because of possible radiation concerns, other animals, such as green crabs and lionfish, have been turning up on dinner plates as regions tackle invasive populations. 

Invasive species can destroy ecosystems by spreading diseases and outcompeting native animals and plants for vital resources, impacting biodiversity and causing knock-on effects that can reduce the availability of human food sources. 

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