Dan Burton locked up hundreds of wild pigs for clients at Salinas’ wildlife management company, but he was surprised when he opened one of them and found the blue meat.
“I’m not talking about blue a bit,” said Burton, owner of the city’s Trapping Wildlife Control. “I’m talking about neon blue and blueberry blue.”
Burton quickly knew what the problem was and told Monterey County officials and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife about the disturbing find.
The agency is now warning trappers and hunters not to keep an eye on the contaminated wildlife in the area and not to consume contaminated meat.
“It’s just wild,” Burton said.
The surprising findings of wild pigs with bright blue tissue in Monterey County suggest that wild animals are exposed to the anticoagulant Rodenberivisico difacinone. It is a popular poison used by farmers and farmers to control the population of rats, mice, squirrels and other small animals, according to a California and Wildlife statement.
“Hunters should be aware that meat from gaming animals such as wild pigs, deer, bears and geese can be contaminated if the game animal is exposed to rodents,” said Ryan Bullbor, pesticide research coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Officials are urging hunters not to consume meat from animals with signs of blue pigmentation in meat or fat, and urge them to report their findings to officials.
They may suffer from “secondary exposure” to the poison, as they can remain in the animal-eating predators poisoned by difacinone and in the organs and tissues of the poison for a while.
According to a 2023 survey, “In general, multiple feeding is required to receive a toxic dose,” but substance-consuming people and animals can experience the effects of poison, including signs of lethargy.
Another study published in 2011 found that cooking meat contaminated with difacinone had little effect on the concentration of venom and recommended that “consumption of pork obtained from areas with active rodent control programs should be avoided.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it noticed wild pigs exposed to rat venom in March when Monterey County traps reported finding several wild pigs with blue muscle and fat.
The animal was tested by the California Wildlife Health Institute and found that the animal has the anticoagulant Rodenbelling difacinone in its stomach and liver.
Rodenchinko’s food is often stained to be identified as poison, and the unusual blue muscles are a sign that the animal may have eaten the poison or may have eaten an animal that was exposed to the poison.
Authorities also warn that blue colours are not always present in exposed animals.
Rodent suicide can cause problems for farmers and farm companies that use it to control animals that can destroy or damage crops, Bourbor said.
Burton said his company discovered the animals affected when he was hired by an agricultural company in late February.
His company locks up pigs and euthanizes them according to state law, he said. He usually donates pig corpses and meat to low-income families. However, in this case, the pig was found with bright blue meat and fat when opened.
“I thought it was strange,” Burton said.
Burton said he tried to understand how pig meat was contaminated and found that animals appeared to target squirrel feeding stations in the field that were being used to control squirrel populations.
“I was looking for these pigs [the bait traps] Burton said.
Pigs that were consuming poisoning food did not die anytime soon, as they consumed food intended to kill much smaller animals. Pigs weighing 100-200 pounds, where Burton weighed 100-200 pounds, appeared to be working normally despite the tissue being visiblely affected by the poison.
The venom also does not act quickly in small animals. Small animals can remain alive for several days before the poison comes into effect, he said.
The pig was submitted for testing and was found to have been poisoned for a long period of time.
Meanwhile, the company that hired Burton’s company said it pulled squirrel traps out of the field due to concerns that it portrayed a group of pigs.
“Our concern is we see multiple animals doing it,” Burton said.
According to California’s Pesticide Regulations, difacinone, a substance found in pigs, is largely prohibited throughout California, unless used by certified vector control technicians, government agencies or agricultural sites.
The ban came into effect in 2024 as part of a law aimed at protecting wildlife from exposure to poison.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, a 2018 survey found that approximately 8.3% of wild pigs tested had traces of anticoagulant curable fungicide residues.
Burton said his main concern is that young hunters may not know the signs they will look for when hunting pigs.
CDFW asks anyone who encounters an animal with blue fat or tissue to contact their agency at whlab@wildlife.ca.gov or (916) 358-2790.
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