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Texas Could Have as Many as 6 Million Feral Hogs, and Some are Killers

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Estimates for the number of feral hogs in Texas have been pegged at approximately 1.5 million by a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department report. However, sources say these numbers are drastically underestimated. According to an article by Gene Hall of the Texas Farm Bureau, it’s believed there could be over 6 million of these animals in the Lone Star State, and the issues stemming from their high-volume breeding has resulted in human fatality.

In Anahuac (east of Houston), on Sunday, November 24, 2019, the body of Christine Rollins, a caretaker for an elderly couple, was found between her car and the front door of the home where she worked. She had bled to death as a result of wounds consistent with a feral hog attack. The Jefferson County coroner confirmed this discovery on the following Monday.

Texas Could Have as Many as 6 Million Feral Hogs, and Some are Killers

Photo: Wikimedia

Everyone in Texas who has ever had a run-in with them understands that these animals are aggressive. The difference in the circumstances in Anahuac, however, is that the attack wasn’t relegated to a rural setting. Feral hogs are no longer simply an agricultural nuisance. Despite the fact that Texas recently passed a law allowing for the hunting of these animals without a license, Hall contends that this won’t be an answer to the problem and that additional measures will be required. Furthermore, he believes the first step in coming up with a solution is to get an accurate determination of their numbers. Many people believe the old estimate of their population is now grossly outdated, but others insist there couldn’t possibly be as many as six million feral hogs in Texas.

How many feral hogs do you believe are in the Lone Star State? Is the population closer to two million or six million? Have you ever had a close encounter with one of these dangerous beasts? Tell us all about it. We want to hear from you!