ST. CHARLES PARISH, La. — Recent estimates indicate there are more wild hogs in Louisiana than the combined populations of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette.
In St. Charles Parish, the descendants of domesticated pigs are wreaking havoc on the highways.
Tuesday, the SCSO released a statement saying, “Recently, we have seen an increase in feral hogs entering our roadways, especially on the stretch of highway between Willowdale Blvd. and Avondale on Highway 90.”
Westbank resident Neil Clulee says feral hogs are something residents must deal with.
“They have a lot of them, and they’ve been here for 20 years and I have properties along the highway here on both sides and I just don’t see how you can control them,” Cluelee said.
Feral hogs were linked to a deadly crash in St. Charles earlier this year.
According to the sheriff’s office, over the weekend, another resident struck a pig on Highway 90.
Jack Joyce lives behind the Pier 90 Bar and Boat Launch in Luling.
“A couple of years ago we had a hog incident right out front, and a car went off the side of the road and they’re pretty large hogs,” Joyce said.
The St. Charles Sheriff’s Office is asking motorists to be extra cautious, especially when driving in areas with primarily wooded shoulders where hogs can quickly reach the highway.
“Yeah, you’ll see dead hogs on the highway, you know, a few a week,” Joyce said.
Feral hogs are found in all 64 parishes in Louisiana.
The state’s feral hog population is currently estimated at about 900,000.
Every year, hogs cause about $90 million worth of damage to crops and property in Louisiana.
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