Problematic pigs
Tuesday, January 30, 2007 Jennifer Anderson Baynews 9
There's a stiff penalty for pigs rooting up yards in Manatee County, serving time at the Manatee County Jail farm.
It's a life sentence for wild hogs after they were trapped and taken to jail after destroying yards in Manatee County neighborhoods.
Ridgewood resident Virginia Heatley said this isn't the first times the hogs have hit.
"It started here in the backyard closer to the house," Heatley said.
But there's good reason the hogs are on the move. Booming growth in north Manatee is forcing them out of their natural environment.
It's a problem Jeff Norris with Nuisance Wildlife Relocation deals with almost daily.
"I've seen acres upon acres torn up in certain areas," Norris said.
So Norris sets up corn-filled traps in hopes of catching the culprits who have no place to go but the pen.
"Well, Florida statute says we cannot release any non-indigenous species into the wild," Norris said.
So it's off to jail for the hogs and back to some serious yard work for residents like Heatley.
The pigs tore up yards in north Manatee County. "It's hard to put it back together again," Heatley said.
And a hard-knock life for the hogs.
It doesn't cost the jail anything to house the hogs. They're fed leftover food from the inmates along with grain, a byproduct of grits made at the farm. Once they're plump, you'll likely find them at a barbecue.
The Manatee County Jail farm has a meat processing plant run by inmates. Many times nuisance wildlife relocation will pay to have a few hogs processed. The meat then goes to needy families in the area.
There's a stiff penalty for pigs rooting up yards in Manatee County, serving time at the Manatee County Jail farm.
It's a life sentence for wild hogs after they were trapped and taken to jail after destroying yards in Manatee County neighborhoods.
Ridgewood resident Virginia Heatley said this isn't the first times the hogs have hit.
"It started here in the backyard closer to the house," Heatley said.
But there's good reason the hogs are on the move. Booming growth in north Manatee is forcing them out of their natural environment.
It's a problem Jeff Norris with Nuisance Wildlife Relocation deals with almost daily.
"I've seen acres upon acres torn up in certain areas," Norris said.
So Norris sets up corn-filled traps in hopes of catching the culprits who have no place to go but the pen.
"Well, Florida statute says we cannot release any non-indigenous species into the wild," Norris said.
So it's off to jail for the hogs and back to some serious yard work for residents like Heatley.
The pigs tore up yards in north Manatee County. "It's hard to put it back together again," Heatley said.
And a hard-knock life for the hogs.
It doesn't cost the jail anything to house the hogs. They're fed leftover food from the inmates along with grain, a byproduct of grits made at the farm. Once they're plump, you'll likely find them at a barbecue.
The Manatee County Jail farm has a meat processing plant run by inmates. Many times nuisance wildlife relocation will pay to have a few hogs processed. The meat then goes to needy families in the area.
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