Wild Hogs In The Everglades
Florida has many weirdly wild matters of nature that fascinate and entertain those who visit The Florida Everglades, and leave the professionals scratching their heads as they work to protect our delicate ecosystems.
One of the wildest of weird happenings in Florida, our wild hogs! These grumbly, hairy, destructive omnivores came to our state in 1539 when Hernando De Soto landed in south Tampa Bay with horses, hogs and 620 men to set out exploration across the state of Florida. All these years later, there’s over 3 million descendants spanning across our nation. In Florida, wild hogs are predominantly found in the dense farmland around lake Okeechobee and, of course, in our sparsely populated Everglades.
These 100-200 pound beasts are not the most friendly creatures. But don’t worry, they are quite shy and skittish.
Though wild hogs are an interesting animal to see poking around within the sawgrass, wild hogs are an invasive species and pose problems for the delicate ecosystems of the Florida Everglades. Snacking on their diet of nuts, crops and other animals, these creatures are thrivers and survivors, taking whatever they need from their surroundings to survive. The hogs leave farmers with damaged crops, and fields, upturned and eaten seedlings, and destabilized ground from hogs burrowing into it for hidden food sources. This behavior causes erosion and destroys water aquifers such as ponds and stream banks.
These beasts also compete for food with other animals, they may consume the nests and young of many reptiles, ground-nesting birds, and mammals, and, with their keen sense of smell, can find young domestic livestock, including poultry, lambs and goats. Wild hogs do 100 – 200 million in damages to our state on an annual basis.
Regardless of their status, wild hogs are always a treat to see on our Everglades Adventure tour. Book yours today at www.evergladesadventure.com/book-online/.