Improved Strategies for Handling Entire Sounders of Wild Pigs

Abstract

As wild pigs (Sus scrofa) expand throughout North America researchers are increasingly being tasked with trapping and marking entire sounders (family groups) to attach monitoring devices or other identifying markers to gather knowledge to inform management. Capture and marking procedures can be challenging, dangerous for both researchers and animals, and time consuming, particularly when handling sounders. We developed an integrated pig‐handling system to efficiently sort, weigh, chemically immobilize, and mark multiple wild pigs simultaneously in a controlled manner. To assess the functionality of the system, we evaluated 18 capture events in Texas, USA, from January 2018 to March 2019, where we marked 221 pigs of varied age classes and group sizes (2–19 animals). Using the pig‐handling system, we chemically immobilized 51 large (41–101 kg) pigs and manually restrained 170 smaller (<45 kg) pigs with injury rates below 4%. Average handling times for large pigs was 71.9 (SD = 25.7) min and <1 min for smaller ones. We released sounders intact and routinely recorded them together on motion‐activated cameras. Incorporating a handling system into wild pig research and management is encouraged to facilitate safe handling procedures for both pigs and handlers. © 2021 The Wildlife Society. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

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“…The following morning we shrouded the trap(s) with shade cloth to keep the captured animals calm 37 . We calmly and slowly loaded the wild pigs into a handling trailer with a chute and individual compartments, where we could accurately weigh, restrain (with a squeeze chute), and inject anesthetic drugs in a safe and confined setting 38 . Once in the squeeze chute, we injected chemical immobilizing drugs into the hind quarter muscles of all wild pigs receiving a GPS collar using a combination of medetomidine‐midazolam‐butorphanol (MMB) at a target dosage of 0.06 mg/kg medetomidine, 0.30 mg/kg midazolam, and 0.30 mg/kg butorphanol 39 .…”

“…For neonates, we attached uniquely identifiable ear tag buttons (non‐transmitting) into both ears (Allflex Piglet Tag, Allflex USA Inc.). The juveniles and neonates were then immediately released into a separate sub‐compartment of the trap 38 for holding until all the wild pigs from the trap were processed. Once all the wild pigs were processed, and the GPS collared pigs were ambulatory, we moved them all back into the main trap compartment, and then opened the trap and released the entire group together.…”

“…39 We used a jab stick (DanWild LLC, Austin, TX, USA) to inject the drugs. Once injected, we released the drugged wild pigs back into a subcompartment of the trap 38 and allowed the drugs to take effect for approximately 15 min. Once immobilized, we applied an eye lubricant, covered the eyes with a cloth tied around the snout, monitored vital signs, and attached a GPS collar and uniquely identifiable ear tag (Allflex Two Piece Cattle Tags, Allflex USA Inc., Dallas, TX, USA) into both ears.…”