This Animal Caused $2.5 Billion in Damage to One Texas Town

While the world excitedly awaited Santa’s reindeer visiting on Christmas Eve, the city of Kyle, Texas, saw an influx of a different type of animal: feral hogs. Officials of the city, which is just 21 miles southwest of downtown Austin, warned residents about their new (and unwelcome) animal population on Dec. 17, 2024. And while our holiday decorations have long since been put away, the city is still trying to control its feral hog infestation two months later.

What Exactly Are Feral Hogs?

Feral hogs go by many different names: wild pigs, wild boars, wild hogs, razorbacks, and feral swine. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, these animals are a combination of descendants of escaped or released pigs brought to the U.S. by Europeans and escaped domesticated pigs. They are classified as “a dangerous and destructive invasive species,” with large populations in southern states.

The population of feral hogs has grown over the years, with an estimated 2.6 million living in Texas alone, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife. There are an estimated 6.9 million of them across 35 states in the U.S., growing each year due to their high reproduction rate and lack of natural predators.

Pigs for Christmas

The City of Kyle shared a Facebook announcement in December, which said in part, “The Kyle Parks and Recreation Department is actively working to address the increased presence of feral hogs in certain areas within city-owned property.”

John Davis, Conservation Division Manager of Kyle, Texas, tells A-Z Animals that the city doesn’t know exactly how many wild hogs are roaming its land. “No one knows how many hogs exist in any part of Texas. To know that number or have an estimate that is anything other than a guess would require population surveys, and we just don’t have that data,” Davis says. “All we can comment on is that feral hog activity (damage) has increased to an unacceptable level, so we have implemented our trapping program to reduce the amount of damage being seen on the landscape.”

Not Their First Rodeo: A History of Feral Hogs in Kyle

An influx of feral hogs is nothing new for the city. Davis confirms that Kyle did have feral hogs prior to December, “much like most every other location in much of Texas.”

“Feral hogs are free-ranging over much of the state,” he continues. “Their populations in particular areas increase and decrease over time depending on many factors like disease, drought, and reproductive success.”

Because feral hogs are highly prolific breeders, their population can grow relatively quickly. Davis breaks it down for us: “A female can become capable of reproduction at 6 months of age and have an average of six young per litter and two litters a year. So, that female can produce 60 more pigs within a five-year period. Therefore, there is often no other ’cause’ for populations to increase other than high reproductive output.”

What’s the Damage?

Feral hogs both root and consume plant and animal materials, destroy property like golf courses and public parks, damage historic sites, hurt delicate ecosystems and native wildlife habitats, and more, leading to an estimated cost of $2.5 billion per year in the U.S. in feral hog damage and control efforts.  

“Feral hogs damage the ecosystem by physically destroying (root plowing) habitat with their rooting behavior,” Davis explains. “They eat roots, eggs, and any other plants and animals they find on or under the ground.”

Their unsanitary habits are destructive as well, according to Davis, who says wild pigs “foul waterways with their feces.” He continues, “They prefer riparian habitats, and when they become concentrated, the accumulation of feces creates water quality concerns.”

And because they carry illness, wild hogs can spread disease to livestock, further harming the food supply. According to the USDA, an estimated 10% of feral swine are likely infected with Brucella, a bacteria infection that can make other animals and humans sick.

“In Kyle, the primary damage is caused by their rooting behavior in parks and residential areas,” Davis says. And although animals and humans should stay clear of wild hogs because they can be very aggressive, Davis confirmed that “no one in Kyle has been injured by a feral hog.”

How Kyle Handled the Feral Hogs

In order to control the increased feral hogs roaming the state, Kyle’s Parks and Recreation Department has been working with the existing feral hog trapping contractors to “live trap hogs and take them to a USDA holding facility,” according to Davis.

On average, it costs the city approximately $2,000-$3,000 per trap per month for feral hog suppression, according to the city’s website. While other methods of hog suppression exist (such as using toxicants to poison hogs), corral trapping is the most effective method with the least environmental impact in Kyle.

The city’s plan is to continue using this method until “impacts are less costly than sustaining suppression efforts.” Then they will stop until the feral hog population increases again or until they develop a more permanent control method. Unfortunately, this won’t be easy.

“The only way to prevent future hog damage is to fence them out completely,” Davis explains. “Obviously we can’t fence entire creek drainages, so we are left with trying to manage numbers.”

How Many Hogs Have Been Caught

According to Davis, two “sounders,” or groups of hogs, have been captured since the beginning of their trapping efforts. The city posts periodic updates on its website, with its most recent explaining that the conservation team is weighing reports of hog activity in other areas of the city and deciding if they should continue baiting their current location, moving the trap to a new location, or deploying a second trap. No matter which way they move forward, the city is focused on reducing the number of feral hogs. This is a measure that the citizens of Kyle want, according to Davis, in order to eliminate the damage caused by the animals.

Seeing a Real-life Wild Hog

You may be tempted to try to capture a wild hog if you spot one, but it’s important to leave this to a professional. “If a person encounters a hog, simply give the hog(s) space and, unless they feel trapped or threatened, they will try to leave,” Davis explains.

Residents of Kyle are also encouraged to not disturb hog traps and to report feral hog sightings within city limits. And if you see a feral hog somewhere else in the U.S. or Canada, report it to the Squeal on Pigs! website.