Dan Burton caught hundreds of wild boars for his clients at Wildlife Control in Salinas, but he was shocked even if he cut one of the wild pigs.
“I’m not talking about a little blue,” said Burton, the owner of the city’s wildlife control. “I’m talking about neon blue, blueberry blue.”
Burton transferred the disturbing discoveries to Monterey County officials and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
A California-based trap company recently captured wild boars, which were found to have blue meat and fat.
(Dan Burton)
The agency now warns catchers and hunters to be aware of potentially contaminated wildlife in the area rather than eating contaminated meat because of concerns that the blue meat suggests that the animal may have consumed poison.
“It's crazy,” Burton said.
According to a statement from California Fish and Wildlife, wild boars in Monterrey County wild boars in Monterrey County have shown that the animals have been exposed to the anticoagulant rodent accidental agent dimethosterate dimethosterate, a popular poison used by farmers and agricultural companies to control populations of rats, mice, squirrels and other small animals.
Authorities say rodent baits usually contain dyes to identify them as poison.
(California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
“Hunters should be aware that if this animal is exposed to rodents, wild boars, deer, bears and gooses, the meat of the game animals may be contaminated,” said Ryan Bourbor, coordinator of pesticide investigations at the state agency.
Officials urged hunters not to eat any signs of blue pigmentation in meat or fat from animals and report the findings to officials.
Predators and people who eat animals poisoned by dimethoxyketone may be “exposed to poison” because the substance can remain in the organs and tissues of the poisoned animal for a period of time.
According to a 2023 study, “multiple feeding is usually required to receive toxic doses,” but people and animals who consume the substance can begin to feel the effects of poisons, including signs of lethargy.
Another study published in 2011 found that cooking meat contaminated with dimethoxyketone had little effect on the concentration of poison and suggested that “pork consumption obtained from areas with active rodent control programs should be avoided.”
A Monterey County catcher reported finding several wild boars with blue muscle and fat, which was aware of the boars being exposed to rat poison, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
According to a statement from the agency, the agency’s Wildlife Health Laboratory found dimethoxyone in the stomach and liver of a pig.
Rodent baits are usually stained and therefore can be identified as poison, while abnormal blue muscles suggest that the animal may have taken the poison, or taken an animal exposed to the poison.
The rodents that found killing smaller animals were drawing wild boars.
(Dan Burton)
Officials also warn that blue may not always exist in exposed animals.
Bourbor said rodents could pose a problem for farmers and agricultural companies that use it to control animals that may damage or damage crops, but ultimately poison other wildlife.
Burton said his company found affected animals when hired by an agricultural company in late February and March to capture wild boars entering the company's field.
He said his company captured pigs and then euthanized them under state law. He usually donates pig carcasses and meat to low-income families. But in this case, pigs are found to find fresh blue meat and fat when they are cut.
“I think, OK, that's weird,” Burton said.
Burton said he investigated trying to figure out how the pig's meat was contaminated and found that the animals appeared to be targeting wild squirrel bait stations used to control squirrel populations.
These pigs are looking for [the bait traps] Burton said. “I saw them trying to turn it over, break them, try to get the poison.”
Burton said pigs that consumed poisoned bait did not die immediately because they were eating bait aimed at killing many small animals. Burton said pigs weigh 100 to 200 pounds and appear to be performing normally even if their tissues are significantly affected by poison.
He said that even for small animals, the poison is not a quick action, and the poison can survive for a few days before it takes effect.
The pigs were submitted for testing and found to be exposed to poison for a prolonged period of time.
“We saw multiple animals,” said Trapper Dan Burton.
(Dan Burton)
Meanwhile, Burton said the company, which hired Burton, caught squirrel traps from the wild because of fear that it was in the herd.
“What we're worried about is that we're seeing multiple animals doing this,” Burton said.
According to California Pesticide Regulations, dimethoxygen is prohibited in California unless certified vector control technicians, government agencies, or agricultural sites use dimethoxygen.
The ban comes into effect in 2024 as part of a law aimed at protecting wildlife from exposure to poisons.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, a 2018 study found that about 8.3% of wild boars were tested for traces of anticoagulant rodent residues.
Burton said his main concern is that young hunters may not know the signs they are looking for when hunting pigs.
The agency requires anyone who encounters blue fat or tissue animals to contact officials via whlab@wildlife.ca.gov or (916) 358-2790.