.jpg)
At the Baynet, Calvert Deputy Deploys Taser To Restrain Aggressive Pot Belly Pig, Protecting A Nearby Family
ST. LEONARD, Md. – In a daring incident on December 23, 2023, around 6:48 p.m., Deputy First Class (DFC) Wilder of the local law enforcement agency successfully subdued an aggressive male Pot Belly Pig in the 6100 block of Ben Creek Road in St. Leonard. The incident occurred following an animal complaint from a concerned resident regarding the safety of her family.
The complainant reported a 70 lb. male Pot Belly Pig, known as ‘Thug’, with 3-inch long, hard tusks, running at large. Deputy Wilder promptly responded to the scene, where he discovered that this was the second incident of the day involving the elusive pig. Animal Control had previously responded but was unable to apprehend ‘Thug’ using a baited trap.
Despite multiple attempts to lasso the pig and redirect its path, ‘Thug’ grew more agitated and charged towards the complainant’s property. With a family, including a 3-year-old child, present at the scene, Deputy Wilder swiftly took action to ensure public safety. He deployed his agency-issued taser, successfully containing the unruly pig.
Following the incident, ‘Thug’ was safely transported to the Linda L. Kelley Animal Shelter by Animal Control, where the pig’s owner voluntarily relinquished ownership.
Deputy Wilder’s quick thinking and bravery in averting a potentially dangerous situation showcases the dedication of law enforcement to ensuring the well-being of the community.
Although we technically live in St. Leonard, this incident was several miles away, on the Patuxent side of Rt. 4, which runs down the spine of the county.
FWIW, Linda Kelly was a Calvert County Commissioner well known for her love of animals, and keeping pot-bellied pigs as pets.
Feral pigs have roamed the woods of the U.S. for centuries and are a major feature in the U.S. countryside, with one Twitter user famously going viral in 2020 complaining about the "30-50 feral hogs" that kept disturbing their kids playing in the yard.
It seems that these traditional wild boars have now crossbred with domestic pigs, creating huge hybrid hogs that are descending en masse from Canada into the U.S., primed to cause even greater destruction than usual.
These so-called "super pigs" that are moving south from Canada are "incredibly intelligent, highly elusive," larger in stature than their cousins, and capable of tunneling into snow to survive in colder climes, the Guardian reported in February.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that the U.S.—having brought feral swine over during the country's colonization in the 1500s—has around 6 million feral swine across at least 31 states. These boars, having lived away from humans for many generations, are now considered an invasive species. They usually weigh 75 pounds to 250 pounds, but can grow even larger.
"Wild pigs are a very successful species because of their generalist diet and habitat preferences, their tolerance of a broad range of climate conditions, and relatively high population growth rate," Jim Hone, an emeritus professor of wildlife ecology and management at the University of Canberra in Australia, told Newsweek.
Wild boars cause damage to farmlands, crops, properties and livestock, digging through fields hunting for food and attacking other animals and their nests.
America's hunters are willing to accept the challenge.
The Wombat has Late Night With Rule 5 Sunday: Riley Gaines up and running on The Other McCain.
Hey, the majority of Californians can’t complain. They voted for this. They’ve voted Democrats in control of the legislature since 1970. The Assembly is 60D-19R, Senate is 30D-9R. That’s a supermajority. Republicans have controlled the assembly for about one year. Even if it’s squishy Dems supposedly voting in squishy Dems, the squishies vote with the hardcore leftists. And you getBacon may disappear in California as pig rules take effect
Thanks to a reworked menu and long hours, Jeannie Kim managed to keep her San Francisco restaurant alive during the coronavirus pandemic.
That makes it all the more frustrating that she fears her breakfast-focused diner could be ruined within months by new rules that could make one of her top menu items — bacon — hard to get in California.
“Our number one seller is bacon, eggs and hash browns,” said Kim, who for 15 years has run SAMS American Eatery on the city’s busy Market Street. “It could be devastating for us.”
At the beginning of next year, California will begin enforcing an animal welfare proposition approved overwhelmingly by voters in 2018 that requires more space for breeding pigs, egg-laying chickens and veal calves. National veal and egg producers are optimistic they can meet the new standards, but only 4% of hog operations now comply with the new rules. Unless the courts intervene or the state temporarily allows non-compliant meat to be sold in the state, California will lose almost all of its pork supply, much of which comes from Iowa, and pork producers will face higher costs to regain a key market.
That vote was 62.66% in favor, 37.34 against. Rather close to the numbers that vote in the presidential elections, always for the Democrat.With little time left to build new facilities, inseminate sows and process the offspring by January, it’s hard to see how the pork industry can adequately supply California, which consumes roughly 15% of all pork produced in the country.
The National Pork Producers Council has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for federal aid to help pay for retrofitting hog facilities around the nation to fill the gap. Hog farmers said they haven’t complied because of the cost and because California hasn’t yet issued formal regulations on how the new standards will be administered and enforced.
Barry Goodwin, an economist at North Carolina State University, estimated the extra costs at 15% more per animal for a farm with 1,000 breeding pigs.
Strangely, one lawsuit was dismissed, which had used the Interstate Commerce Act, because all pork products come in to California from other states, not California. The California law would require producers in states not named California to comply with California law. One of the provisions states “Prohibits certain commercial sales of specified meat and egg products derived from animals confined in noncomplying manner.” Another would apply up to $1,000 fines. Yet another provides for inspections by California inspectors. Will California send them to North Carolina, Iowa, and Minnesota, the top three producers of pigs? Would the states and companies allow that?If half the pork supply was suddenly lost in California, bacon prices would jump 60%, meaning a $6 package would rise to about $9.60, according to a study by the Hatamiya Group, a consulting firm hired by opponents of the state proposition.But, it won’t jump by 60%, it would go to zero in most cases, as producers would simply avoid selling pork products in California. No bacon, sausage, barbecue, pork dumplings, or anything else that would be affected. That’s simply the easiest thing to do, is it not? Some products will be sold, and the prices will certainly jump way more than 60%. Is that realistic? Because that’s what the law says. Even if they want to sell it, the law says they can’t. . . .
Hopefully, this means more for me. But probably not.
The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Crossing The Streams up on time and under budget.
.jpeg) |
| "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" |
Terry Vance Garner, 69, went to feed his animals last Wednesday on his farm by the coast, but never returned.Thanks to Alex.
His dentures and pieces of his body were found by a family member in the pig enclosure, but the rest of his remains had been consumed.
The Coos County district attorney's office said that one of the animals had previously bitten Garner.
The animals are estimated by the authorities to each weigh about 700lb (320kg).
Feral hogs rank right up there on the lists of invasive species considered “bad actors” — bad for wildlife, bad for ecological systems, bad for the economy.So what are they thinking of doing?
Like other nuisance species, feral hogs (also called feral swine) take advantage of opportunities. For Virginia’s small — but likely growing — populations of feral hogs, those opportunities derive from legal loopholes, misinformation and a nationwide enthusiasm for hog hunting that may be taking root in Virginia.
The Virginia Feral Hog Task Force, consisting of a range of stakeholders — from wildlife managers to the pork industry — was formed to combat the spread of feral hogs. Its call to action is “Feral Swine: Not Here, Not Virginia,” and its tools include education, regulations and eradication.
Managers estimate the number of feral hogs in Virginia at between 3,000 and 5,000, located in small concentrations and isolated “sightings” across the state. Compared with some Southern states, these numbers are low. Texas and South Carolina have populations estimated at more than 100,000.
But it turns out that even well-intentioned amateur hunters aren’t equipped to control, let alone eradicate, feral hogs. Once they start feeling pressure from hunting — or trapping — they become very difficult to find or catch.Not hunting apparently, since hunter are already doing all they want to. Wild Hogs are a problem species in many southern states where hog hunting is popular, and it's not really controlling the population.
“It’s been well-proven that hunting doesn’t control the hogs,” said Jeff Rumbaugh, Virginia wildlife biologist for U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, one of the lead agencies working on the control and eradication of feral hogs. Yet, because the hogs are labeled a nuisance species in Virginia, any licensed hunter may kill a feral hog, day or night, 365 days a year.
A new Associated Press-GfK poll finds that public opinion continues to run deeply negative on the Affordable Care Act, Obama's signature effort to cover the uninsured. Forty-three percent oppose the law, compared with just 28 percent in support.There just isn't enough lipstick to make that pig pretty.
The pattern illustrates why the health care law remains a favored target for Republicans seeking a Senate majority in the midterm elections.
The poll does have a bright spot for the administration: Those who signed up for coverage aren't reeling from sticker shock. Most said they found premiums in line with what they expected, or even lower.
But even that was diminished by another finding: More than one-third of those who said they or someone in their household tried to enroll, were ultimately unable to do so. For the White House, it's an uncomfortable reminder of the technical problems that paralyzed the HealthCare.gov website for weeks after it went live last fall.
A state senator is rallying to get the city to overturn a longstanding law forbidding New Yorkers from having cuddly little pigs as pets — or at least to quit slapping those who do with summonses.But at least the law in its majestic equality, forbids both rich and poor, powerful and unconnected
“People die on [illegal] construction sites . . . and yet our threatening enforcement is against the person who has a small pig. There is a total inconsistency in the way the city deals with certain activities,” Sen. Tony Avella (D-Queens) told The Post.
“Families who have pigs have absolutely no problem maintaining them. They’re not a danger to other people, and may even be less of a danger than other animals [that are legal]. Obviously, the city needs to do more research.”
Lou and Danielle Forgione of Whitestone say they have received two summonses from the Health Department over Petey, their adorable Juliana pig. When they did not comply, the city sent a third notice threatening to “dispose” of the 50-pound porker.
“They hit us with a letter that we had 15 days to dispose of said animal. Otherwise they would come in with force and they would dispose of him. Basically they told us they would euthanize him,” said Danielle Forgione, 33.
Avella, the senator, said he did not know until recently that owning pigs was even illegal in the city. He was outraged to learn that Mayor Bloomberg’s daughter Georgina brought her pet pig to Gracie Mansion on Thanksgiving to meet Hizzoner — and got off scot-free.
“The city’s going after families who have pigs as companions. Meanwhile, Bloomberg’s daughter has a pig in Gracie Mansion and no one mentions it’s illegal,” Avella said.
