As unlikely as it sounds, feral hogs have become a trending topic online in relation to the debate about gun control in the United States following two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio that left 31 people dead over the weekend.
That鈥檚 right, feral hogs. And more specifically, 30 to 50 of them.
It all started on Sunday, when an Arkansas father chimed in on a conversation about assault weapons on Twitter.
William McNabb, a self-described Libertarian from El Dorado, Ark., responded to American musician Jason Isbell鈥檚 declaration that no one needs an assault rifle.
鈥淟egit question for rural Americans - How do I kill the 30-50 feral hogs that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play?鈥 .
Perhaps it was the large size of the group of invading hogs or the precise number of minutes it takes for them to run into the yard or the suggestion that rural Americans need assault rifles to protect themselves from this problem, but, regardless of the reason, McNabb鈥檚 tweet quickly went viral with thousands of Twitter users mocking the man鈥檚 concerns.
By Tuesday morning, was trending on Twitter with endless memes poking fun at the threat of 鈥30-50 feral hogs鈥 in 鈥3-5 minutes鈥 flooding the social media platform.
Despite the incredulous reaction online, McNabb鈥檚 worry about feral hogs is actually justified.
, feral hogs are an 鈥渋nvasive species, public nuisance, and a threat鈥 to the state. That鈥檚 because the animals are known to destroy farmland and habitats by 鈥渞ooting and wallowing,鈥 leading to erosion into streams and other water sources. The hogs also compete for food resources, eat nesting birds, fawns, and young livestock, and carry diseases and parasites.
The government agency said overpopulating feral hogs are responsible for an estimated US$19 million in row crop damage in the state and $1.5 billion in damages nationwide on an annual basis.
鈥淎griculture is our state鈥檚 largest industry, and feral hogs and the damage that they cause pose an increasing threat to all aspects of our state鈥檚 agriculture industry and our ability to make a living,鈥 Wes Ward, Arkansas鈥檚 secretary of agriculture, .
, feral hogs are 鈥減rolific breeders鈥 and the animals spread naturally through the state in the early 1990s. However, there is also indirect evidence that suggests hunters released hogs for sport and caused them to spread, the university said.
To deal with the invasive species, Arkansas has created a 鈥渇eral hog eradication task force鈥 to trap the hogs. It鈥檚 currently illegal in the state to transport and hunt feral hogs.
鈥淭he shooting of individual hogs also thwarts large-scale trapping efforts by agencies because increased disturbance makes it nearly impossible to catch the whole sounder, or family group, at once,鈥 the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission states.
Arkansas isn鈥檛 the only state wrestling with the problem of rampant feral hogs, many of their southern neighbours including Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri are also combating the issue.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, feral hogs have been reported in at least 35 states and the population is estimated at more than six million and 鈥渞apidly expanding.鈥
In June, the agency announced $75 million in funding for the eradication and control of the species in to address the threat the animals pose to agriculture, ecosystems, and human and animal health.
