Conservation Target : Feral Swine ( Sus scrofa ) Management Goal: Reduce threats of wild hogs to private land and culturally significant natural resources. Biological Conditions Contributed Service Conservation Strategies
unknown density, disease vector, human-wildlife conflict, invasive threat
Provisioning (threat)
Management, Research
History and Adaptive Process: Feral hogs are widespread in western North Carolina and in the neighboring Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These animals are adaptable and highly prolific. Hogs are ravenous, eating almost anything they can fit into their mouth. They cause problems in ecosystems as they compete for resources with native wildlife, decrease water quality, increase soil erosion, spread diseases, and can eradicate native plant populations and communities. Pigs (Si-Gwa- ᏏᏆ ), provide a food source through hunting, but the damage they can do far outweighs the benefits. Therefore, we have participated in collaring studies with the park to track hog movement, removed hogs from areas as necessary, and looked at hog damage to land-owner property and delicate headwater ecosystems. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS Current Methodology for Conservation Strategies Research: Use trail cameras to improve density estimates. Collecting opportunistic biological/health data from wild hogs. Survey headwater sites for hog damage. Management: Develop strategies to reduce human-wildlife conflicts and damage management on EBCI lands. Assist in the development of tribal codes to mitigate wild hog disease threats to agricultural resources. Trap and assist USDA partners to reduce wild hog populations as necessary. Results and Discussion for Information Transfer and Processing Ecological: No hog damage was found at 11 headwater sites- but a baseline of plant communities was established prior to their invasion. Management: New equipment purchased for trapping wild hogs.
Adaptive Decision for 2023
Management or Methodological Changes: Develop methods and test equipment for wild hog trapping. Continue monitoring headwaters for damage. Purchase equipment for NRE to continue management.
Partners: U.S. Department of Agriculture- Asheville Office (USDA), Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP), Virginia Tech, EBCI Natural Resources Enforcement (NRE)
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