Skip to content
NOWCAST News 9 at 7:30
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Camera in Upper Valley captures apparent sight of feral hog

Wildlife officials say they want to track down animal, test it for diseases

Camera in Upper Valley captures apparent sight of feral hog

Wildlife officials say they want to track down animal, test it for diseases

WILDLIFE OFFICIALS SAY THEY ONLY GET ONE OR TWO CALLS ABOUT FERAL HOGS A YEAR. AND TONIGHT, THIS ONE IS STILL ON THE RUN. <"THEY'RE VERY DESTRUCTIVE."> DESTRUCTIVE... HUNGRY.... AND ON THE LAM... WHAT APPEARS TO BE A FERAL HOG - SNIFFING AROUND A PLAINFIELD BACKYARD WEDNESDAY NIGHT. DAVID ALLABEN WITH U-S-D-A WILDLIFE SERVICES SAYS THESE PIGS AREN'T NATIVE TO THE AREA... SO THIS ONE LIKELY ESCAPED FROM SOMEONE WHO BROUGHT IT HERE. HE SAYS THEY CAN BE A NUISANCE FOR LANDOWNERS. <"THEY EAT NATIVE WILDLIFE, YOUNG FAWNS, ANYTHING THEY CAN GET A HOLD OF. TURKEY NESTS, BIRD NESTS, NESTING BIRDS ON THE GROUND, TURTLES, YOU NAME IT. THEY'RE OPPORTUNISTIC FEEDERS... THEY EAT ANYTHING."> AND THEY CAN CARRY DISEASE -- SO THEY'RE HOPING TO CATCH IT QUICKLY. <DAVID ALLABEN // STATE DIRECTOR, USDA WILDLIFE SERVICES NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT: "ONCE WE REMOVE THEM, WE TAKE SEVERAL SAMPLES, BLOOD SAMPLES, TISSUE SAMPLES, WE'RE TESTING FOR A WHOLE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT DISEASES ECAUSE OUR FEAR IS IF THEY GET IN WITH DOMESTIC SWINE, THESE BACKYARD PIGS AND STUFF, THEY CAN SPREAD WHATEVER DISEASE TO THAT PARTICULAR ANIMAL AND THEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM. AND THAT'S ONE REASON WE WANT TO GET THEM OFF THE LANDSCAPE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE."> FERAL HOGS ARE CONSIDERED AND I SPOKE WITH THE HOMEOWNER THAT GOT THIS VIDEO -- SHE SAYS IT DIDN'T DAMAG
Advertisement
Camera in Upper Valley captures apparent sight of feral hog

Wildlife officials say they want to track down animal, test it for diseases

A resident of New Hampshire's Upper Valley captured video of what appears to be a feral hog in her Plainfield backyard, and wildlife officials are now trying to track it down.Experts said feral hogs aren't found in New Hampshire or the surrounding area, so this one might have escaped from someone who relocated it to the state.Wildlife experts said feral hogs are considered to be escaped private property, so without knowing who owns it, it's not legal to shoot it. David Allaben, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said they can be a nuisance for landowners. "They eat native wildlife, young fawns, anything they can get a hold of. Turkey nests, bird nests, nesting birds on the ground, turtles, you name it," Allaben said. "They're opportunistic feeders -- they eat anything."David Allaben said anyone who sees the hog should contact his office so it can be tracked down and tested for disease."Once we remove them, we take several samples — blood samples, tissue samples," Allaben said. "We're testing for a whole variety of different diseases, because our fear is if they get in with domestic swine, these backyard pigs and stuff, they can spread whatever disease to that particular animal, and then we have a problem. And that's one reason we want to get them off the landscape as quickly as possible."The USDA is working to get permission to track the hog and remove it from the property. The homeowner that captured the video said the animal did not damage any of her property, but she's keeping her cameras on just in case it comes back.

A resident of New Hampshire's Upper Valley captured video of what appears to be a feral hog in her Plainfield backyard, and wildlife officials are now trying to track it down.

Experts said feral hogs aren't found in New Hampshire or the surrounding area, so this one might have escaped from someone who relocated it to the state.

Advertisement

Wildlife experts said feral hogs are considered to be escaped private property, so without knowing who owns it, it's not legal to shoot it.

David Allaben, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said they can be a nuisance for landowners.

"They eat native wildlife, young fawns, anything they can get a hold of. Turkey nests, bird nests, nesting birds on the ground, turtles, you name it," Allaben said. "They're opportunistic feeders -- they eat anything."

David Allaben said anyone who sees the hog should contact his office so it can be tracked down and tested for disease.

"Once we remove them, we take several samples — blood samples, tissue samples," Allaben said. "We're testing for a whole variety of different diseases, because our fear is if they get in with domestic swine, these backyard pigs and stuff, they can spread whatever disease to that particular animal, and then we have a problem. And that's one reason we want to get them off the landscape as quickly as possible."

The USDA is working to get permission to track the hog and remove it from the property.

The homeowner that captured the video said the animal did not damage any of her property, but she's keeping her cameras on just in case it comes back.