Since March, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been receiving reports of this strange observation.
There is reason to believe that this strange occurrence is a sign that the pigs have been poisoned.
"This is crazy," Dan Burton, owner of Urban Trapping Wildlife Control, who first reported the shocking event, told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm not talking about a faint blue tint... I'm talking neon blue, blueberry blue.".
A statement from the CDFW last week said that the pigs in the Monterey County area were exposed to pesticide baits containing the anticoagulant diphacinone, a poison that prevents blood clotting and causes internal bleeding in rodents, eventually leading to their death.
Blue tissue and flesh can be a sign of rodenticide ingestion, which can occur through the consumption of baits that often contain dyes to mark them as poison, or through other animals that have ingested the substance, the agency said.
However, this does not mean that such a blue discoloration is always present, even in contaminated meat.
“Hobby hunters should be aware that the meat of wild animals such as wild boar, deer, bears and geese may be contaminated if these wild animals have come into contact with rodenticides,” said Dr. Ryan Bourbour, coordinator for pesticide investigations at the CDFW.
The CDFW urges recreational hunters to report any unusual findings in hunted wild animals, including blue tissue, and not to consume any parts of animals with blue fat or muscle or other abnormalities.
Contact with rodenticides can be a problem for wild animals that are not part of the target group in areas where these substances are used in close proximity to wildlife habitats.
A 2018 study of anticoagulant rodenticide contamination in California wildlife found residues of these rodents in 10 out of 120 (8.3%) wild boar tissue samples and in 10 out of 12 (83%) bear tissue samples. These samples largely came from animals frequently inhabiting agricultural or residential areas where rodenticides are commonly or more likely to be used.
Pesticide users are strongly urged to take precautions when applying rodenticides to avoid endangering wildlife. Before application, it is essential to ensure that no non-target wildlife is using the area where the pesticide is to be applied. It is also important to use appropriate bait stations and application methods that prevent access for non-target species. Employing an integrated pest management approach to rodent control can help reduce the risk of rodenticide exposure to non-target wildlife.
