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Feral pigs aren't in Montana yet, but they're a likely future threat

A feral hogs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
A meeting of the Transboundary Feral Swine working group this week discussed the risk of the invasive species crossing from Canada into Montana.

Montana is one of about a dozen states that have yet to report the presence of feral swine.

But invasive species experts from the U.S. and Canada warned this week that that could change.

Ryan Brook with the University of Saskatchewan told the Transboundary Feral Swine working group on Tuesday that Montana’s border with Canada puts it at high risk.

“There are no real meaningful boundaries at the Canada-U.S. border," he said.

The biggest cause of population expansion is the release of hogs for hunting, said Tahnee Szymanski, an Assistant Veterinarian for the Montana Department of Livestock

“If you let that contingency build it's just a forever ongoing fight," she said. "And so we didn't want that to be established in the state of Montana at all.”

Feral swine can decimate agricultural production and often carry diseases that can be transmitted to domestic livestock.

Under a 2015 state law, it is illegal to hunt, transport, possess, and profit from feral swine in Montana. Members of the working group say ongoing monitoring and education is crucial for ensuring that Montana remains free of feral pigs.