US Military Declares War On Feral Pigs
POSTED: 10:46 am PST February 29, 2008
FORT BENNING, Ga. -- Major Bobby Toon is known as the Pig Czar at Fort Benning, Georgia.
He's in charge of ridding the 75,000-hectare base of its unwanted guests: an estimated 6,000 feral pigs that roam freely.
The animals, common throughout Georgia, are known for tearing up woodlands and farms. They are aggressive foragers, gobbling up native vegetation and endangered species.
Toon says `These pigs feed and breed. That's all they care about.'
Since July, more than 900 pigs have been killed and Toon says he has personally `brought down' 68 of the animals. He says they `can smell a turkey egg three miles away' and are also a danger to tortoises and woodpeckers.'
He's not the only pig hunter at work. About 2,000 people have been authorized to hunt the animals and the base is offering a (Canadian) $40 bounty for every pig tail that's brought in. Hunters must be active-duty, retired military or civilian workers at Benning and must have a licence from the base.
