# pigs.

By [Untitled](https://paragraph.com/@0x0cb3ef60c96c5a75dd6817c68f187c4a40d6667d) · 2024-01-07

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Pigs have a long and fascinating history in the United States. [The first pigs were brought over on a ship in 1539 by the Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto](https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2019/10/a-brief-history-of-the-pig-in-the-united-states/). [Today, there are an estimated 5 million pigs residing in the US](https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2019/10/a-brief-history-of-the-pig-in-the-united-states/). [Pigs are not native to the US, but have wrought havoc in recent decades: the government estimates the country’s approximately 6 million wild, or feral, pigs cause $1.5bn of damage each year](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/20/us-threat-canada-super-pig-boar).

[Feral pigs are known as “ecological zombies” because they will eat almost anything and can live almost anywhere](https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2019/10/a-brief-history-of-the-pig-in-the-united-states/). [They are responsible for a laundry list of environmental damages, ranging from eating innocent farmers’ crops to destroying trees and polluting water](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/20/us-threat-canada-super-pig-boar). [They also pose “a human health and safety risk” as they are capable of carrying viruses, such as flu, which are transmittable to humans](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/20/us-threat-canada-super-pig-boar).

[In 2023, the US faced a new threat from Canadian “super pigs”, a giant, “incredibly intelligent, highly elusive” beast capable of surviving cold climates by tunneling under snow](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/20/us-threat-canada-super-pig-boar). [The emergence of the so-called super pig, a result of cross-breeding domestic pigs with wild boars, only adds to the problems the US faces from the swine invasion](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/20/us-threat-canada-super-pig-boar).

In conclusion, pigs have a rich history in the United States, but their impact on the environment and human health is a growing concern. [Feral pigs are known for their destructive behavior, and the emergence of super pigs only adds to the problem](https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2019/10/a-brief-history-of-the-pig-in-the-united-states/).

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*Originally published on [Untitled](https://paragraph.com/@0x0cb3ef60c96c5a75dd6817c68f187c4a40d6667d/pigs)*