Ordinary bush pigs cause 50 million dollars in damage to the people of Africa every year! (9 photos)

Imagine: your vegetable garden, your pride and breadwinner, is raided daily by wild animals. What is it like to see the fruits of your labor disappear overnight? This is exactly the fate that has befallen the inhabitants of many African countries, where the bush pig has become a real scourge. These animals, like a group of invaders, attack fields and vegetable gardens, leaving behind only destruction and despair for local farmers.





Step aside, bony humans! Disaster is Coming

Who are you anyway

The brush-eared pig is not just another representative of the African fauna. No, it is a real "tank" of the animal world: a large, hardy mammal, named for the characteristic tassels on the tips of its ears. They are found from savannas to dense bushes throughout the central and southern parts of the Black Continent.



Whiskered tank, serious pig

And do you know what makes them a real nightmare for locals? Their way of life! Night forays, rapid reproduction and the recipe for their success is ready.

"Just imagine: one female can give birth to up to eight piglets at a time, twice a year!"

- explains Dr. John Ngugi, an ecologist at the University of Nairobi.

No wonder their population is growing like crazy.





Meet my little yeasts

What's your problem

The growth of the African bush pig population is like a snowball rolling down a hill. Just imagine: there are no natural predators, the climate is changing, expanding their habitat, and the pigs themselves... Oh, these pigs! They have adapted so well to living next to people that you would want to applaud them, if not for one "but"...

Brush-eared pigs have a colossal impact on the local ecosystem. Crops are destroyed, irrigation systems are ruined, and competition with livestock for pastures has turned into a real war! In this battle, everyone loses: according to the FAO, the annual damage in some African countries reaches 50 million dollars. Just think about it!



I ate a pumpkin and they already hung 50 million in losses on me...

These pigs are very voracious and can gobble up to 3 kg of fruits, seeds, grass and other goodies that people grow at a time. Listen to the story of Mbula Mutua, a farmer from Kenya:

"It was an ordinary night until... A herd of bush pigs destroyed my entire corn crop. All! Do you understand? A whole year's work - and all for nothing. How can I feed my family now? How can I live on?"

His words contain the pain and despair of an entire continent!



When we grow up, we want to eat all the reserves of stupid people!

Dangers for Africans

Don't think that the problem is limited to economic damage. The life and health of people can also be seriously affected by these fatties. If they are protecting their offspring, then be sure that their sharp fangs and claws can be used against you.



And this is what a human's face looks like when I eat all his corn

Even if there is no one to protect, a bush pig can attack a person for simply getting too close to it. They are somewhat territorial animals and will defend lands where they can feed well. By the way, they are also not averse to measuring the length of their fangs among themselves, to show the other who is the real alpha here!



Dude, while I was threshing pigs here, you were still shitting in diapers!

Methods of combating overpopulation

The fight against bush pigs is not just a game of cat and mouse. Here passions run high and people, alas, often end up in the role of losers.

Hunting does not give the results that people want to achieve, and fences do not always withstand the onslaught of a whole crowd of animals. Yes, for your information, bush pigs drive in crowds of 10 or more individuals and at the same time they are not shy about cooperating against common enemies. I mean us, by the way.



A rare moment when a bush pig brings positive emotions

"You can't just go and exterminate all the bush pigs. That's not a solution, it's an ecological disaster!"

- Professor Sarah Ndegwa, a wildlife management specialist, is heated. And you know what? She's right! We need a holistic approach, we need to think bigger, we need to act smarter. In our earlier articles, we've touched on the importance of each species to the ecosystem, so the option of exterminating the pigs is completely out of the question!



Sleep tight

At the moment, the problem of the bush pigs remains open. The voracious boars eat human supplies and behave like street punks in the 90s, but this does not mean that they should be exterminated. Such a problem requires a holistic approach and the intervention of other countries, because we are all part of one big planet! What is happening in Africa today can happen here tomorrow, so the fewer indifferent people there are in this world, the more chances we have to reach a bright and happy future! I hope you enjoyed the article, so be sure to: