Wild Boars Arriving in WNY

From zebra mussels, to the emerald ash borer, New York State has seen its share of invasive species.  But you may not believe what's causing concern now.

Feral pigs, also known as wild boars, have arrived in Western New York.  For the past couple of years the New York Department of Environmental Conservation has tried to contain some herds in the central part of the state.

But now officials at Allegheny State Park have confirmed for the first time, their presence there, about 50 miles south of Buffalo. 

Because they're not native to New York, there are two schools of thought as to how they got started here.  One theory is some wild boars escaped from a game farm.  The other goes that they could well have been simple pink piggies that bolted from a hog farm.

"When they go to the wild they actually go through a morphological change.  Their hair turns thicker, darker and courser, and their tusks develop.  You wouldn't think that little pink porker could become that razorback type of boar but it does," said New York DEC Wildlife Manager Mark Kandel.

They're also extremely destructive to the eco-system, substantially damaging crops, while wreaking havoc on native animals and water quality.

Feral pigs generally shy away from people.  But because they're not a protected species, and because they're so destructive, the DEC has instructed hunters that if they see these things, shoot them.