Why U.S. ranchers and farmers are alarmed about Canada’s destructive “super pigs” [Video]

Near Melfort, Saskatchewan — As the sun sets on the Canadian Prairies, the search begins for one of North America’s most destructive animals, a fast-growing population of wild hogs that biologists call “super pigs.”

Dr. Ryan Brook, a professor in the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture and Resources, has been tracking them for years. He says they’re in the search area for sure.  

“No question,” Brook told CBS News. “And like, lots of them, not just two, three, there’s a lot of pigs out there. It’s kind of mildly alarming just how many pigs there are around us right now.” 

These super pigs have American border states on guard. Experts say they pose a multibillion-dollar threat to the U.S. economy if they ever cross from Canada into the U.S.

Brook, one of Canada’s leading authorities on super pigs, calls them an “ecological trainwreck.” They’re crossbreeds — wild boars deliberately bred with domestic pigs. They’re …