Park rangers rescue abandoned pigs at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, warn of ecological harm
DELAWARE WATER GAP NATIONAL RECREATION AREA — Rangers at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area safely captured three pigs last week after the animals were found wandering on the Pennsylvania side of the park, officials said.
National Park Service officials said the pigs had been unlawfully left in the park. Rangers located the animals and quickly developed a plan to capture them without injury.
Park officials emphasized that domestic animals, including pigs, do not belong in the park’s native ecosystem and can cause significant environmental damage if released. While Delaware Water Gap does not currently have a feral hog population, invasive swine are a growing concern nationwide.
According to the National Park Service, feral swine populations have been confirmed in 35 states, including southwestern Pennsylvania. These animals are known to damage natural and cultural resources by rooting through soil and vegetation, often destroying large areas of habitat.
Wild hogs are not native to the region. Pigs were first brought to North America in the 1500s as a food source, when free-roaming livestock was common and animals frequently escaped. In the early 1900s, Eurasian wild boars were introduced for sport hunting, and over time they interbred with escaped domestic pigs, creating feral populations that spread rapidly.
Park officials said feral hogs thrive in a wide range of environments and can cause extensive damage by uprooting plants and disturbing soil, leading to erosion and loss of native vegetation.
Visitors to Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area are reminded that domestic animals must be kept on a leash no longer than six feet at all times. Dumping animals is illegal, dangerous to the animals and harmful to park resources, officials said.
More information about feral swine populations and their impacts on national parks is available on the National Park Service website.
