The combined efforts between government officials and the public have helped significantly reduce the population of an invasive species in a Florida county.
According to Observer Local News, the number of wild hogs caught in Flagler County has dropped by one-third in just the past year. There has been a management and removal program in place for the past few years from the Land Management department, but the addition of a reporting dashboard for residents to alert officials to wild hog sightings has added to their efforts.
In 2023, before the reporting program was in place, 255 hogs were captured. After the program began in 2024, that number went up to 604, and this year it stands at 412.
"One of the positive things that we can see is — you want that number to start going down. And it is actually starting to go down because of the excellent results that we're getting," Land Management Director Erik Revuelta told Observer Local News.
The animals are known to cause thousands of dollars in damage to property, and Revuelta said that the hogs are being pushed more and more onto private property thanks to habitat destruction from human development.
Wild hogs are not native to Florida, but according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have been in the state for hundreds of years, possibly introduced by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto around 1539.
Despite their long tenure in the state, they are still a threat to native plants and wildlife, outcompeting them for resources and consuming them unchecked in some cases. The University of Florida reports that economic damage from wild hogs is actually in the billions for the state, as these animals feed on crops, destroy terrain, affect livestock, and are capable of transmitting serious diseases to animals and humans alike.
The efforts to remove the invasive pigs are an excellent reminder of the need to support native species in your area. You can take steps in your own backyard by planting native plants, which encourage local animals to utilize them for food and habitat, and are easier and cheaper to maintain than many other invasive species.
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