In the Wild--Pigs, Horses, and a Manta Ray

A few stories to discuss on the cyber porch--all three with a wild touch to them...

North Carolina hunter and a 500-pound boar in 2015

Get Down And Dirty With DNA To Track Wild Pigs: These animals will eat anything, from rows of corn to sea turtle eggs, to baby deer, and goats. The pigs number 6 million in 35 states. Once female wild pigs are about 6 months old or so, they can produce as many as a dozen offspring per year. For a number of reasons that haven't been completely nailed down, their populations have really exploded in the last 30 years. 


A Home for Wild Horses:  In South Dakota, volunteers are scrambling to find homes for hundreds of wild horses that were spared a possible trip to the slaughterhouse but are now suffering through a harsh winter. For more about several wild horse controversies, click here.


An Aqua Ballet with a Manta Ray in the Wild:  The larger species of manta ray often reaches 23 feet in width—and this snorkeler goes up close to swim with one of the beautiful creatures. 

by dan gogerty (photo from witn.jpg)