“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,” Bourbour said.
Concerns over rodenticide-contaminated meat are supported by previous research. A 2011 study found that cooking diphacinone-tainted meat did not significantly reduce the poison’s concentration. The study recommended avoiding consumption of pig meat from areas where rodent control measures are in use.
Wild pigs are found in 56 of California’s 58 counties and occupy diverse habitats such as woodlands, chaparral, meadows, and grasslands. As omnivores, they consume both plant and animal matter, which raises the risk of rodenticide exposure either by eating poisoned bait directly or by consuming contaminated animals.
This is not the first documented instance of such a case where wild pigs with neon blue flesh being found. In September 2015, a series of photos were shared on social media under the title “The Weird Pig,” showing pigs with similar blue discoloration. Subsequent analysis confirmed that those pigs had also been exposed to rodenticide. According to CDFW Information Officer Krysten Kellum, between 2021 and 2022, the CDFW detected rodenticide exposure in 19 out of 30 tested black bears, one out of one tested wild pig, and none of the two black-tailed deer tested in California.
A 2018 study by the CDFW found rodenticide traces in 8 percent of wild pigs and 83 percent of bears tested, primarily in animals that had been near farms or residential areas where such poisons are commonly applied.
Officials have also advised pesticide users to implement safeguards that limit access to poison baits by non-target wildlife and to adopt integrated pest management practices to minimize the risk of exposure. [Rh/Eth/ VS]
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