Pennsylvania Game Commission Begins Drafting Regulations for Wild Boars

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to a recent
state Supreme Court ruling, Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director
Carl G. Roe today directed staff to begin developing regulations to allow the
incidental taking of wild boars during certain hunting seasons. The draft
regulations are expected to be ready for the Board of Game Commissioners to
consider as part of its Jan. 29 meeting agenda.

"On Dec. 27, a Supreme Court ruling, in effect, classified wild boars as
'protected mammals,'" Roe said. "Prior to the court's ruling, the Game
Commission had no regulatory oversight or authority for wild boars. Now, we
are seeking to clarify and appropriately regulate the protection of wild boars
that was put in place by the court."

Roe stressed that wild boars are not native to the Commonwealth and are
classified as an invasive species by the Pennsylvania Invasive Species
Council.

"Wild boars found in the state are either domestic pigs, Eurasian wild boars,
descendants of European and Asian hogs, or hybrids of these species that have
escaped or been released," Roe said. "They should not be confused with the
javelina, or collared peccary, which is native to the southwestern and
southern U.S. and northern Mexico.

"Wild boars may weigh more than 400 pounds and are very prolific; they can
produce litters of 8 to 12 young and can have two litters per year. They are
extremely destructive to crops, wildlife habitat and the environment, and they
are a danger to wildlife and domestic animals and a threat to the pork
industry, especially since they are carriers of diseases and parasites that
can infect livestock, wildlife and humans."

Roe noted that wild boars root and wallow, which destroys wildlife habitats.
Destruction includes erosion along waterways and wetlands and the loss of
native plants. Additionally, wild boars compete for food with deer, bears,
turkeys, squirrels and many other birds and mammals. They are predators of
small mammals and deer fawns as well as ground-nesting birds such as turkeys,
ovenbirds and grouse, including their nests and young.

Breeding populations are believed to currently exist in only Bedford and
Cambria counties, where pregnant females and young have recently been seen and
killed. Damage caused by feral hogs to wildlife, habitat and property has been
reported in the southwest, southcentral and northeast regions of the state.
Two additional counties, Montgomery and Warren, have unconfirmed sightings of
young and/or pregnant sows.

While no feral hogs in Pennsylvania have tested positive for any infectious
diseases as yet, feral hogs are known to carry 18 viral diseases, 10 of which
can infect people; and 10 bacterial diseases, all of which cause disease in
humans. Feral hogs are reservoirs for numerous parasites that can affect
people, pets, livestock or wildlife.

As wild boars were not considered "wildlife" prior to the court's ruling, Roe
said that hunters had been permitted to take them without regard to state
hunting laws or regulations. However, with the ruling in place, wild boars
are protected and may not be killed until the Game Commission takes action to
implement a regulation to allow such action.

Roe also noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania
Pork Producers Council are sponsoring research in Pennsylvania. The Wildlife
Services Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the
Pennsylvania Game Commission are collaborating to trap wild boars and collect
blood and tissue samples. Wild boars captured as part of these surveillance
programs are not returned to the wild; they are humanely dispatched.

A Pennsylvania task force also has been established to locate feral hog
populations and help address the concerns caused by their presence. The task
force consists of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, the PennAg Industry Association, the Pennsylvania
Game Commission, Penn State University, the Pennsylvania Audubon Society and
the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council.

Note to Editors: If you would like to receive Game Commission news releases
via e-mail, please send a note with your name, address, telephone number and
the name of the organization you represent to: PGCNews@state.pa.us
For Information Contact:
Jerry Feaser
717-705-6541
PGCNews@state.pa.us

SOURCE Pennsylvania Game Commission

Jerry Feaser of the PA Game Commission, +1-717-705-6541, PGCNews@state.pa.us