Hunters sometimes trapped the animals to introduce them to new regions. How they got here: The boars were brought from Europe to the US in small numbers, starting about 300 years ago, but the population only started to explode when hunters brought the animals to Texas in the past century. What they are: A cross between the Eurasian boar and the domestic swine, adults typically weigh up to 300 pounds and have bristly hair that comes in many color combinations, as well as a rubbery snout and menacing lower tusks used for fighting. and what-if anything-is being done about them. Here are a few of the most frightening and infuriating invasive species making their relentless spread across the U.S. And the National Wildlife Federation reports that 42 percent of threatened or endangered species are at risk because of invasive species. But in a few years, the sky is being blackened by swarms of obnoxious birds and the ground is crawling with giant scurrying rodents.Īccording to the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, the US suffers $120 billion in economic losses caused by these non-native invaders. And nobody thought that crate of fur-bearing little animals would cause any problems. Sure, it may have seemed harmless to release a few exotic birds during a ceremony in a park. And in many cases, there’s not a lot we can do to stop the problem from growing. Through either intentional or accidental release, people are to blame for the many invasives that are causing environmental, health, and economic mayhem across the land. The rampant spread of invasive species across North America brings about the extinction of beneficial native plants and animals, severely alters the landscape to threaten wildlife and agriculture, and ultimately brings harm to humans.
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