Summary: Although species decline and habitat loss is widespread throughout the animal kingdom, the feral pig is in the midst of a dramatic population increase and territory expansion. Once considered a regional phenomenon, the destructive mammal is becoming commonplace across much of the nation, leaving billions of dollars of damage in its wake. There are an estimated 5 million wild hogs in the United States, and more than half of them can be found in Texas, where Dr. Billy Higginbotham, a wildlife specialist at Texas A&M University is a key figure among scientists working to control the animal in the state. Higginbotham tells us about this herculean effort. Meanwhile, wild ponies have become a popular attraction at a state park in southwest Virginia and we find out why from Beverley Amsler of Radio IQ. read more
