Escaped Russian boars plague Michigan

BAY CITY, Mich., Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Fifteen months after vandals released an unknown number of Russian boars from a Michigan ranch, the animals are being spotted farther and farther away.

The most recent contact proved fatal for the boar, which ran onto Interstate 75 outside Bay City Monday night and was struck and killed by a pickup truck. The driver was uninjured, but the wild pig was killed instantly, and required three men to lift into another truck.

Department of Natural Resources spokesman Tim Reis said apart from becoming traffic hazards, there is concern the boar may be reproducing in central Michigan's wild, and could establish their non-native population.

"People have reported seeing little pigs and piglets," Reis said. "It's a concern if they establish themselves because they can potentially do a lot of habitat damage. They're amazing foragers."

With deer season open, the department is asking hunters to report sightings of boars so an approximate population and distribution area can be calculated, the Bay City Times reported.