"I'm not talking about a little”: Warning issued after neon blue wild pigs found
Rodenticides are also used in Canada.
California authorities are warning the public after neon blue muscle and fat was found inside wild pigs.
"I'm not talking about a little blue," Dan Burton, owner of Urban Trapping Wildlife Control told the LA Times.
"I'm talking about neon blue, blueberry blue."
The muscle inside the pig Burton found in March was bright blue. (Dan Burton/Facebook/Urban Trapping Wildlife Control).
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Burton, who reported "multiple observations" in trapped wild pigs, immediately contacted officials in South Monterey County and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, who launched an investigation.
Exposed to poison
“Wild pigs in the Monterey County area were exposed to pesticide bait containing the anticoagulant rodenticide diphacinone, according to findings by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Wildlife Health Lab (WHL) and the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in Davis,” reads a July 30 statement on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website.
The anticoagulant is a popular pest control poison used by farmers and agricultural companies. It is also used in Canada.
“Wildlife can be inadvertently exposed to rodenticides either by eating rodenticide bait or by eating other animals that have ingested rodenticides,” the department says.
“Rodenticide baits often contain dye to identify them as a poison. Blue-colored muscle or fat may be a sign that game meat has been contaminated by rodenticides, although this blue discoloration may not always be present. CDFW urges hunters to always use caution when harvesting game animals and be aware of potential risks.”
Rodenticide bait. (CDFW)
Officials were made aware of the neon blue pigs in March following Burton’s alert.
A 2011 study found that cooking meat tainted with the poison had minimal effect on reducing concentrations in the tissue. The public is advised against consuming any meat that is suspected to be affected by rodenticides and to report any new discoveries to officials.
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