NATIONWIDE — They’re large, hairy, invasive, and wild or feral swine can cause big environmental and health problems. Living in Texas, you’re probably familiar with the problem.

A new report published in The Atlantic sheds light on the feral swine population explosion and its projected impacts.

According to the report, there are roughly 9 million of the animals spread out across the U.S. and their population in the last 30 years has expanded from 17 states to at least 39.

Most of the feral pigs are a mix of domestic breeds and European wild boar, creating what University of Saskatchewan biologist Ryan Brook refers to as “super-pigs.”

The article goes on to say that the problem is already out of control in Texas, where there are approximately 1.4 million feral hogs and the state annually spends $4 million to control the population.

About $2.5 billion in damage annually is attributed to the animals, which eat farmers’ crops, attack livestock, and destroy native plants and habitats. Each pig can host 30 bacterial and viral diseases as well as 40 parasites.

Part of the problem is feral pigs have few natural predators. Bobcats and coyotes will occasionally feed on feral piglets or weakened animals but they’re no match for an animal that can grow to three times their size.

In Texas and elsewhere, hunters trap and kill the animals with mixed results. Shooting the animals from helicopters is legal in the state, and as many as 27 pigs have been killed per hour. It’s an expensive solution, however.

In addition to other animals, feral pigs can be extremely dangerous to people, particularly when traveling in herds with their young. They have been known to attack people without provocation, sometimes fatally.

Between 1825 and 2012, there were 100 documented attacks on people in the United States, five of which were fatal.

On November 26, 2019, 59-year-old Christine Rollins was killed by a herd of feral pigs just outside her workplace in Anahuac, Texas, 50 miles east of Houston