2009-11-12

Master naturalists to learn about feral pigs

Contributed

Feral pigs will be on the menu during the November meeting of the Hill Country Chapter of Texas Master Naturalist, beginning at 7pm Monday, Nov. 16, at Riverside Nature Center in Kerrville.

Matthew Reidy will present “Feral Pigs in Texas – Where Have We Been & Where Are We Headed.”

A regulatory wildlife biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife based in Lytle, Reidy received his Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University in Wildlife Ecology and Management in May 2004. In 2007, he received his Master’s Degree from the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University at Kingsville. His Master’s thesis was titled “Electric Fencing and Population Estimation for Feral Pigs in Texas.” Reidy also serves as a committee member on the South Texas Bobwhite Brigade, part of the Texas Brigades.

Feral pigs, prevalent throughout Texas and the United States, are considered an invasive species. They are thought to be responsible for damages to the land in the form of erosion, destruction of habitat and crops, direct competition with native wildlife and disease transmission.

This meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jim Gardner at 830-285-2129.