Pictures showing wild pigs with neon blue flesh in California have taken over social media, leaving people shocked. According to reports, a hunter made the disturbing discovery after cutting open a dead hog.
Dan Burton, owner of Urban Trapping Wildlife Control, immediately contacted Monterey County officials and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The departments later confirmed that the change in colour was caused by poison.
What caused the blue-coloured flesh?
The authorities launched an investigation and found that the hogs’ flesh turned blue after the animals ingested a poison designed to kill rodents. California Department of Fish and Wildlife, in a statement said, “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.”
Burton shared a cautionary post on his company’s Facebook page. The share read, “The pig in this post tested positive for diphacinone, an ingredient commonly found in rodenticides used to control rodent populations. While the Urban Trapping team was removing feral pigs from South Monterey County, we noticed something out of the ordinary: all the pigs’ fatty tissue was stained blue.” The post was accompanied by a series of pictures showing the blue-coloured flesh of the wild pigs.
Authorities issue warnings:
“Hunters should be aware that the meat of game animals, such as wild pig, deer, bear and geese, might be contaminated if that game animal has been exposed to rodenticides,” said CDFW Pesticide Investigations Coordinator Dr Ryan Bourbour.
“Rodenticide exposure can be a concern for non-target wildlife in areas where applications occur in close proximity to wildlife habitat,” Bourbour added.
Is blue-hued meat dangerous for humans?
Diphacinone, when consumed in large doses, can cause severe bleeding in humans, as well as other mammals, according to a National Geographic report. However, there is no clear indication of how much meat can prove fatal for a person.
The CDFW encouraged hunters to report such findings while harvesting wildlife, adding that meat with such an abnormality should not be consumed.
