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Article: Oklahoma agriculture officials aim to control feral swine
- Article from:
- THE JOURNAL RECORD
- Article date:
- April 23, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2008 THE JOURNAL RECORD. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Although many rural landowners have turned a growing feral swine
problem into a profit opportunity, state Department of Agriculture
officials are also seeing criminal behavior on the rise.
State Veterinarian Becky Brewer suspects people may be committing
felonies without being aware of it as they move feral swine for
commercial or hunting purposes. Those penalties can cost offenders
up to two years in prison and a fine of $2,000, she said.
But the cost to the agricultural economy and environment are even
greater.
"They are voracious eaters; they'll eat almost anything," Brewer
said. "And that's on top of the rooting damage they cause. ... It's
impossible to estimate."
House Bill 1914 was ...