April 21, 2003 – The V.I. National Park has finalized its plan to reduce the number of roaming wild hogs that call the park home.
"The program is termed a sustained reduction because once the hog populations are reduced to low levels, the smaller populations will be held at or below that level," Rafe Boulon, the park's chief of resources management, said in a release.
Phase 1 of the plan calls for contracting the work of building fences and live traps to keep non-native species including the hogs from areas that will be monitored and from places notorious for hog activity. Those places include Herman Farm, Catherineberg and L'Esperance. This phase is expected to take a year.
Phase 2 involves reducing the hog population by capturing the animals in snares or traps. Dogs or guns will be used only for animals that are hard to capture. Areas with lots of hogs will see the first activity, and local volunteers will assist contractors. This should take two to three years.
In Phase 3, park personnel will look for signs of hog activity. When it is found, the park will trap or humanely shoot the animals.
Boulon said park authorities worked for a year on formulating the plan, which recently received final approval from the National Park Service Southeast Region office.
The hog reduction program is part of the park's ongoing efforts to rid or reduce non-native species, also including rats, cats, mongoose, goats and sheep.
Boulon could not be reached for additional comment.
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