The Texas Agriculture Commissioner says one of the most commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals in America has been approved for use killing the feral hogs which can devastate farms and ranches, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"We have concluded our research, and we are now going to send all of those little piggies to hog heaven," colorful Ag Commissioner Sid Miller said.
Miller says the way they will kill feral hogs is by using a derivative of Warfarin, a blood thinner which is prescribed to millions of Americans to prevent blood clots and other vascular problems.
"You would have eat more than two pounds of the liver of a hog that has been poisoned by the drug, so it is very very safe," Miller said.
Miller says all of the feral hogs which have been killed by the poison will have fat which has turned blue, which will also be a clue as to the cause of the animal's death.
Warfarin, which is marketed to human patients as Coumadin, has been used in the U.S. for decades to kill rats, and Miller says it has been used successfully to control populations of feral hogs in Australia.
Feral hogs are a major problems for farmers and ranchers. They can destroy crops, damage fences, and eat poultry.
Several ways have been proposed to get rid of feral hogs, including the creatively-named 'Pork Chopper Bill' in 2011, which allowed hunters to shoot feral hog packs by helicopter.
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